Safety razor become locked into buying their proprietary cartridges, for as long as the manufacturer continues to make them. Subsequent to introducing the higher-priced Mach3 in 1998, Gillette's blade sales realized a 50% increase, and profits increased in an otherwise mature market. The marketing of increasing numbers of blades in a cartridge has been parodied since the 1970s. The debut episode of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975 included a parody advertisement for the Triple Trac Razor, shortly after the first two-blade cartridge for men's razors was advertised. "Mad" magazine announced the "Trac 76", arranged as a chain of cartridges with a handle
American Safety Razor Company wide range of personal care, medical, industrial blades and cutting tools with international operations in Canada, England, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Israel. Frederick and Otto Kampfe were immigrants from Saxony, Germany. In 1875 they applied for a U.S. patent and introduced the Star Razor, the first safety razor made in the United States. The brothers continued to improve their design and sold their products under the Star Safety Razor name in Brooklyn, New York. Jerry Reichard, after working for the Kampfe Brothers for 23 years, leaves to start his own company – the Gem Cutlery Company in 1898. Its first