Beard shaving has always remained in the culture of men over the ages, dating back to ancient times when we were not evolved enough to muster an automated device.
Things like sharp stones or glasses were used for shaving men’s beards and over the course of time, new inventions accelerated the effectiveness of such grooming.
From the invention of manual razor to the formulation of modern day electric shavers, the final jump has been quite rapid.
In today’s electric shaver history article, we’ll jump back in time to explore the path that led us toward this day’s advanced shaving devices and learn which influences guided the progress to this position.
Contents
Pre-Electric Era of Shavers
As I mentioned earlier, prehistoric men used elements of nature to shave their beard. Things like stone shards or obsidians were the primary tools for beard removal for a longer period of time.
After civilization learned to harness the great big uses of metals like bronze or iron, these shavers took a sharp turn toward modernity.
These tools used to be quite sharp and definitely posed some risk on the skin. Therefore, one needed to learn the delicate art of shaving for a safer and comforting outcome.
Until the 19th century, these ‘shavette’ tools would be the only available option for pulling off men’s beard shaving tasks.
Invention of the Electric Shaver
In the early 20th century, human technology started to experience a new dimension in almost every field, including grooming.
More updated tools were being crafted with the aim of easing out difficult tasks and ensuring convenience for men who require frequent beard cleaning.
The First Electric Shaver (1920s-1930s)
Since men were mostly dependent on barbers or professionals to get their beard done, it was endowed upon men with great ability to create something more personal and automated.
With this inspiration in mind, one particular individual stands out in the history of electric shavers – Jacob Schick – an American military personnel and an inventor.
Schick is recognized as the father of the modern day electric shavers as he recognized what machines were able to do and what a set of blades going back and forth meant for the grooming industry.
He filed for a patent in the 1930s upon realizing how difficult men’s shaving was during his days in the military.
However, his patent claim had many disputes in history because other inventors had been working at developing functional electric shavers as well.
Rise of Competitors in Electric Shaver Design
Prior to Jacob Schick, John Francis O’Rourke was the first to receive a patent on electric razor which was filed back in 1898.
On the contrary, the first instance of a functional electric razor was accredited to Johann Bruecker, a German engineer, back in 1915.
While these attempts were built on personal effort and endeavor, Remington was the first ever brand to recognize electric shaving to have true potential for the future market.
Therefore, this brand took the first initiative in 1937 to manufacture electric razors on a large scale, targeting consumers who would find such devices to be very useful.
Today, we recognize Remington as the brand synonymous with grooming, giving us modern products like the Balder Pro, Shortcut Pro or the Foil Shaver.
First Ever Rotary Shaver
The initial electric shaving devices have all incorporated the foil technology and back in the day, these used to be quite harsh on the skin.
In the mid 1930s, Philips took an initiative to invent a different variety of electric razors – one that revolutionized the industry till date.
Prof. Alexandre Horowitz designed the pioneering rotary shaver for the brand in a laboratory situated in the Netherlands.
The device back then was called Philishave and it was owned and manufactured by Philips, therefore rotary shavers today are considered synonymous with the brand.
Braun Enters the Market of Electric Razors
The brand we’re all familiar with because of the top-tier electric devices they produced – Braun took their initiative of developing electric shavers during the similar period as Philips.
Roland Ullmann was the key figure behind the development of the initial Braun tools and this engineer alone holds the record of designing over 100 electric razors, along with a total of 100+ patents.
Ullmann recognized the discomfort of the initial foil shavers and merged rubber elements into the design to offer skin comfort for the consumers.
His contribution and innovation paved the way for Braun to become one of the biggest names in the industry and the brand still pays homage to the brain behind their success.
Key Innovations and Technological Milestones of Electric Shavers
The journey of electric shaver development took a sharp turn for the better from the 1940s because of World War II.
Because this era is marked by the advancement of technology and the post-war period of economic explosion, the true birthplace of consumerism.
Post-War Boom and the Rise of Electric Shavers
With the help of wartime technology and understanding the needs of personal grooming, electric shavers started to improve rapidly.
Up until this point, electric razors didn’t shave in wet modes because the portable design hadn’t been invented yet – meaning, all of the mentioned razors had to be permanently connected to a cord.
In the 1940s, the first true portable electric shavers came into the market and these were usually run by one-time batteries. These batteries could be replaced once out of charge.
1950s-1960s: Expanding Popularity and New Designs
The invention of the 1940s expanded in the decade of 1950s due to the rise of advertisement culture.
Everyone started to buy television sets or leaflets that were being delivered at home, in addition to the boom of telemarketing sales.
With this shift in people’s perception of what’s essential and what’s luxury for a product, the lines were blurred in case of electric razors.
More consumers began to form each day recognizing the potential of an electric shaver, therefore the sales soared, new and improved models kept on entering the market to satisfy this huge demand.
1970s-1990s: The Age of Refinement
In this era, electric shavers were more refined and crafted to allow for more functionality like portability and longer battery life.
The transition from nickel cadmium to nickel metal hydride batteries began during these two decades and moving away from cord reliance let the consumers finally shave in wet modes.
This made shaving both black men’s coarse beard and elderly men’s feeble skin more effective because previous models struggled to satisfy these two groups in particular.
Also, the inclusion of ergonomic handle design gained prominence so that men could groom with the least amount of effort.
1990s-Present: The Digital Era
Starting from the 1990s, electric shavers redefined themselves by offering digital aspects to the devices, ranging between rechargeability and additional automated accessories.
Most of the electric razors of this time period contained LED lights or a display to highlight the battery levels, along with longer lasting, non-removable li-ion batteries.
Other than that, primary models of the modern Braun Series were in development, coming with accessories like a cleaning station or a charging dock.
In recent times, you’ll find shavers to come with a digital display, travel locks, charging or cleaning indicators to make the lives of consumers much more straightforward.
Models like Philips Norelco 7000 introduced AI to their engineering so that groomers can track their progress through an app, as well as learn their way into rotary shaving.
Shaver Types and Technology Explained
If I briefly explain the most common shaver types to exist in the field of electric razors, I’ll have to highlight four categories that are more prominent these days.
Foil, Flat-Blade and Rotary Shavers
You already know that foil shavers are the devices to provide the closest results on beard because of the technology.
From BaBylissPRO FoilFX02’s double-foil design to the Panasonic ARC5 LV67’s four foil units, cutting efficiency is increasing day to day.
On the other hand, Norelco is renowned for their rotary shavers in the modern series, going back to the 2300 shaver as the very basic and mostly caters to beginners.
Another trend in electric shaving is also brought on by Norelco, the line of Philips, under the series of OneBlade.
These blades are flat and vibrate to generate cutting actions, OneBlade Pro being the most popular choice these days.
This technology isn’t restrictive, brands like Gillette also tried to incorporate the basic principles on their manual razor, although that didn’t turn out to be as effective as Philips.
Modern Add-ons and Features
Different add-ons have become part and parcel of modern day electric razors. Things like a charging stand or cleaning dock are quite common, along with different blade heads for dedicated grooming activities.
Some shavers come with advanced features that read beard density and adjust motor power according to it, providing cushion for sensitive skin individuals.
In addition, analyzing your shaving animations and teaching you how to be more effective is also a prominent feature in newer Norelco rotary shavers.
Market Leaders and Notable Models Over the Decades
To discuss the market leaders in the electric shaver history, I must mention a few names who helped the industry form, shape and grow into something ostentatious today.
Brands like Braun, Philips, Panasonic, Remington are the classic lines that date back many many years, with the rise of modern brands like BaByliss, SkullShaver or Manscaped.
I believe the most notable models of these brands belong to the modern era due to the advanced features that are quite unmatched.
Braun Series 9 is the finest one of their line in my opinion, with Norelco 7000 being the most favored one in the series despite bringing newer models in recent times.
I’d have to choose Panasonic ARC5 LV65 as the brand’s mascot and of course, the classic Remington Foil Shaver representing tradition through the model.
Future Trends in Shaving Technology
Predicting the future isn’t my job here, rather I’m trying to follow the arc based on recent developments of electric razors to analyze what we might see in the coming decade.
Here is a list of potential electric shaver upgrades you may witness in the near future because of the advancement of technology in the grooming industry.
AI Features
Electric shaving devices of recent times have started incorporating AI elements already, and it may broaden the horizon of potentials in near future.
Things like regulating motor power based on your beard density or skin sensitivity will definitely help out consumers of diverse beard types to shave much comfortably.
3D Cutting Elements
Extruded and pressure-sensitive blades as well as cutting elements could generate even closer shaves with less entanglement with the skin.
You may not need to go through a pre-shave routine at all to get a silky-smooth shaving outcome that takes minimum duration to complete!
Self-Cleaning Features
While some brands come with a cleaning dock, advanced cleaning may include UV-ray disinfecting and automatic cleaning without any station.
You’ll simply complete your shave, leave the shaver be and find it fully safe to use the next day!
Enhanced Battery Life: As the battery trends are shifting from lithium-ion to sodium-ion batteries which charge up faster, last longer and are more sustainable overall.
This could be a gamechanger – one full charge could last you a whole month – imagine that!
Lower Motor Noise & Heat
With the progression of motor-tech, the electric shaver motors will become more efficient.
Therefore, the noise levels will be less and their housing will not heat up as much as it does these days.
NextGen Shaving Experience
Things like haptic feedback could be incorporated with AI, granting you access to a completely new form of electric shaving.
For instance, your shaver may warn you while shaving on sensitive spots or give you haptic feedback to readjust pressure or speed setting.
I personally cannot tell you what the future of electric shaving will bring forth precisely. But the possibilities I mentioned are closer in time than we may realize and I’m sure such R&D or something even better is currently in progress!
Final Thoughts
So, we’ve explored the long journey of electric shaver history, dating back to the time when shaving wasn’t considered a necessity in men’s life.
In the present era, shaving is considered to be something we cannot live without everyday as the modern fashion and professional industry demand a clean look out of men.
The manyfold technological advancements have brought the tools for personal grooming inside our closed doors and modern men are the new barbers in many regards.
Therefore, electric shavers aren’t elements of 21st century existence to get rid of by any means, and the only way from here is forward with more variety of products to make grooming even more convenient!