He was a traveling salesman. He had always wanted to invent something, but he didn’t know what to invent.
He once sat down at a desk and went through the alphabet from A to Z trying to figure out what he might invent that people needed. It was no help. He still didn’t know what to invent.
Then, it came to him one morning as he was standing in front of a mirror shaving with an old-fashioned straight razor, the kind that had to be sent away to be sharpened. What this country needs, he thought is a little razor blade that you can use until it gets dull and then throw away.
He invented it and became very rich. His name was King Camp Gillette, and the razor blade he invented in 1903 became the razor with which most American men shaved.
70 million blade units were sold in 1915. In 1918, when the U.S. entered World War I, the US government issued all American soldiers a field razor set made by Gillette.
Related Posts
-
Why Is Ice Slippery and How Is the Blade of An Ice Skate Able To Glide On Ice With No Friction?
One simple reason why ice is slippery is that pressure and friction from shoes or skates can melt a very thin layer at the top of snow or ice. It then forms a…
-
What Is the Difference Between “Razor” and “Raze” and What Do the Words Mean?
When a man shaves, he uses a razor, so why when soldiers destroy a town do we say they "razed" it to the ground? Raze is often employed to describe the results of…
-
How did Razor Clams get their name and Why do Clams have a Foot?
Razor clams are quite good to eat, breaded and fried, or made into fritters. They're harder to find here in the States than in many European countries. They didn't get their name because…
-
Who Invented the First Computer and When was the First Computer Invented?
Who invented the first computer? The answer depends on your definition of a computer. The first known counting devices or tools were Tally Sticks from about 35,000 BC. The Abacus was then invented…
-
Who Invented the Bathtub and When Was the First Modern Bathtub Invented?
For eons people have used stone, brick, or wooden tubs to bathe in, in or around the home. But two men significantly affected the bathtub as we know it today. John Kohler, a…
-
15 Inventions You Wish You Invented
The Ejector Seat Although it looks funny in action, the ejector seat has saved thousands of lives since its invention in the middle of the 20th century. Supersonic Seats. An ejector seat is…
