American Safety Razor Company American Safety Razor Company "For the company of the same name that was founded in 1901 and renamed as the Gillette Safety Razor Company, see Gillette (brand)" American Safety Razor Company is a personal care brand founded in the early 20th century (1906) by a merging of the Gem Cutlery Company & Ever-Ready and has been a principal competitor to Gillette for a century and more. Unrelated to the Gillette company which also used the name " 'American Safety Razor Company' " in 1901 until 1904 before it was renamed for its founder, King C. Gillette. The company produces a
Safety razor was one of the first improvements made to guard razors. The basic form of a razor, "the cutting blade of which is at right angles with the handle, and resembles somewhat the form of a common hoe", was first described in a patent application in 1847 by William S. Henson. This also covered a "comb tooth guard or protector" which could be attached both to the hoe form and to a conventional straight razor. The first attested use of the term "safety razor" is in a patent application for "new and useful improvements in Safety-Razors", filed in May 1880 by