Editing Razor (section)

== History ==
[[File:Rasoio in bronzo da tomba a pozzetto 8 del fosso di sodacavalli, 800-750 ac ca.JPG|thumb|Bronze razor]]

Razors have been identified from many [[Bronze Age]] cultures. These were made of [[bronze]] or [[obsidian]] and were generally oval-shaped, with a small [[Tang (tools)|tang]] protruding from one of the short ends.<ref name="warwickshire">[https://web.archive.org/web/20121010195541/http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/web/corporate/pages.nsf/Links/C2011A4E41BA470980256F2B0043FBFE Warwickshire County Council: New Prehistoric Archaeology Objects] <br/>"Even further away in time, during the Bronze Age, we now have evidence of people taking care of their appearance. This leaf-shaped bronze razor was found near Bidford on Avon and is one of only a few of this type of Bronze Age razor to be found in this country."</ref>

Various forms of razors were used throughout history, which were different in appearance but similar in use to modern straight razors. In [[prehistoric times]] clam shells, [[shark]] teeth, and [[flint]] were sharpened and used to shave with. Drawings of such blades were found in prehistoric caves. Some tribes still use blades made of flint to this day. Excavations in [[Egypt]] have unearthed solid gold and copper razors in tombs dating back to the 4th millennium BC. Razors were used and manufactured in [[Kerma culture|Kerma]] during the Bronze Age.<ref>{{cite book| last = Bianchi| first = Robert Steven| title = Daily Life of the Nubians| year = 2004| publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group| isbn = 978-0-313-32501-4| page = 81 }}</ref> 

Several razors as well as other personal hygiene artifacts were recovered from Bronze Age burials in northern Europe and are believed to belong to high-status individuals.<ref>Kincade, Kaitlin, "The Razor's Edge: Constructing Male Identity in Bronze and Iron Age Northern Europe" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. Paper 500</ref> The Roman historian [[Livy]] reported that the razor was introduced in [[ancient Rome]] in the 6th century BC by the legendary king [[Lucius Tarquinius Priscus]].<ref name="britannica">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9062844/razor razor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624091858/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9062844/razor |date=2008-06-24 }}. Encyclopaedia Britannica online. Retrieved on 2012-09-14.</ref>

The first modern straight razor, complete with decorated handles and hollow ground blades, was constructed in [[Sheffield]], in England; in the 18th and 19th centuries, England was considered to be the center of the [[cutlery]] industry. [[Benjamin Huntsman]] produced the first superior [[hardness|hard]] steel grade, through a special [[English crucible steel|crucible]] process, suitable for use as blade material in 1740, though it was first rejected in England. Huntsman's process was adopted by the French sometime later; albeit reluctantly at first because of nationalist sentiments. English manufacturers were even more reluctant than the French to adopt the process and only did so after they saw its success in France.<ref name="britannica"/> Sheffield steel (also called Sheffield silver steel) is a highly polished steel, famous for its deep gloss finish. It is considered to be of superior quality and is still used to this day in France by such manufacturers as [[Thiers Issard]].<ref name="Classic shaving">[http://www.classicshaving.com/articles/article/590351/5376.htm Frequently Asked Questions Answered – Even Before You Ask Them Straight Razor or Safety Razor?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708164215/http://www.classicshaving.com/articles/article/590351/5376.htm |date=2011-07-08 }}. classicshaving.com Retrieved on 2012-09-14.</ref>
[[File:Razor, cut throat (and case) (AM 1998.63.4-4).jpg|left|thumb|Razor and case, part of soldier's personal effects from World War One]]
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the wealthy had servants to shave them or could visit barbershops. Daily shaving was not a widespread practice in the 19th century; some never shaved at all. The custom of everyday shaving among American men only began after [[World War I]]. Men were required to shave daily so their gas masks would fit properly. This became much easier with the introduction of the safety razor, which was standard issue during the war.<ref name="howstuffworks.com">[http://people.howstuffworks.com/shaving.htm howstuffworks: Why Men Shave] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704155733/http://people.howstuffworks.com/shaving.htm |date=2008-07-04 }}: "Even with these developments, however, men preferred beards. Beware may result in loss of ear(s). This may be because shaving with a straight razor is a somewhat dangerous activity better left to a professional. Unless you live in a city and are wealthy, being able to find and afford a shaving professional is difficult. And so, all the way up to the 20th century, beards were fashionable and most men wore them. But during World War I in the United States, that all changed. DO NOT give to children under the age of 22. And there were two reasons for that change:..."</ref>

[[File:Rasoir Acy-Romance.jpg|thumb|upright|Razor made of bronze from the first Iron Age]]
[[File:Due rasoi custoditi entro steli di papiro legati DSC4340-HDR.tif|thumb|Bronze razor with papyrus stem case, between 1425 and 1353 BC, [[New Kingdom of Egypt]]. [[Museo Egizio]], Turin.]]

Straight razors were the most common form of shaving before the 20th century and remained common in many countries until the 1950s.<ref name="ohiokids.org">[http://www.ohiokids.org/tellzall/2007/february.shtml Kids] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407195513/http://www.ohiokids.org/tellzall/2007/february.shtml |date=2008-04-07 }}. ohiokids.org. Retrieved on 2012-09-14.</ref> [[Barber]]s were specially trained to give customers a thorough and quick shave, and a collection of straight razors ready for use was a common sight in most barbershops. Modern-day barbers still keep straight razors, but they use them less often.

Straight razors eventually fell out of fashion. Their first challenger was manufactured by [[King C. Gillette]]: a double-edged safety razor with replaceable blades.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} Gillette's idea was the use of the "[[loss leader]]" concept, in which the razors were sold at a loss, but the replacement blades earned a high margin and provided continuous sales. They were immensely successful because of advertising campaigns and slogans denigrating the straight razor's effectiveness and questioning its safety.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}}

These new safety razors did not require any serious tutelage to use.<ref name="MSNBC">Corey Greenberg (2005-01-30). [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/ How to get that perfect shave] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015033157/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/ |date=2009-10-15 }}. msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved on 2012-09-14.</ref> The blades were extremely hard to sharpen, were meant to be thrown away after one use, and rusted quickly if not discarded. They also required a smaller initial investment, though they cost more over time. Despite its long-term advantages, the straight razor lost significant market share. As shaving became less intimidating and men began to shave themselves more, the demand for barbers providing straight razor shaves decreased.<ref name="ohiokids.org"/>
[[File:Vintage Gillette Fat Handle Tech DE 3-Piece Safety Razor, Made In USA, No Date Code, Circa 1938 - 1945 (47992902421).jpg|thumb|left|A 1940s razor from the USA]]
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 Sword|Wilkinson]] firm, famous maker of ceremonial swords, in Sheffield.<ref name="Wilkinson Sword Heritage">{{cite web |url=http://www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk/our-heritage |title=Wilkinson Sword Heritage |publisher=Wilkinson Sword |access-date=2017-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513235016/http://www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk/our-heritage |archive-date=2017-05-13 |url-status=live }}</ref> Soon [[Gillette]], [[Schick (razors)|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 whole straight-razor shaving kit can exceed the cost of even an expensive electric razor.