Razor to shave themselves more, the demand for barbers providing straight razor shaves decreased. In 1960, stainless steel blades which could be used more than once became available, reducing the cost of safety-razor shaving. The first such blades were made by the Wilkinson firm, famous maker of ceremonial swords, in Sheffield. Soon Gillette, Schick, and other manufacturers were making stainless-steel blades. These were followed by multiple-blade cartridges and disposable razors. For each type of replaceable blade, there is generally a disposable razor. In the 1930s, electric razors became available. These can rival the cost of a good straight razor, although the
Razor strop Razor strop A razor strop (or razor strap) is a flexible strip of leather, canvas, denim fabric, balsa wood, or other soft material, used to straighten and polish the blade of a straight razor, a knife, or a woodworking tool like a chisel. In many cases stropping re-aligns parts of the blade edge that have been bent out of alignment. In other cases, especially when abrasive polishing compound is used, stropping may remove a small amount of metal. Stropping can also burnish (i.e. push metal around on) the blade. The strop may be a hanging strop or a hand-held paddle.