King Camp Gillette (January 5, 1855 – July 9, 1932) was an American businessman, popularly known as the inventor of the safety razor. While Gillette did improve the design of the safety razor (patent US775134), his true invention was an inexpensive, high profit-margin stamped steel disposable blade and a unique business model that later became known as freebie marketing. This beat out competitors and became the most popular razor of its time.
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King Camp Gillette (January 5, 1855 – July 9, 1932) was an American businessman, popularly known as the inventor of the safety razor. While Gillette did improve the design of the safety razor (patent US775134), his true invention was an inexpensive, high profit-margin stamped steel disposable blade and a unique business model that later became known as freebie marketing. This beat out competitors and became the most popular razor of its time.
Born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and raised in Chicago, Illinois. King Camp Gillette's family was devastated by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
While working as a traveling salesman for the Crown Cork and Seal Company to support his family in the 1890s, Gilette would see bottle caps, with the cork seal he sold, thrown away after opening the bottle. This made him realise the value in basing a business on a disposable product. Gillette hit upon an idea. Earlier razor blades needed continuous sharpening, becoming worn out quickly and making them...
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