Was there a column about a razor that didn't get dull?

[tutton]

I read about a razor that never gets dull. I could have sworn I read it in the Straight Dope, but I can’t find it in the archives.

The razor was invented in Italy. Gillette bought the rights to it, and they are not interested in selling it (for obvious reasons). However, the inventor kept the Italian rights, so it’s sold in Italy.

I would like to get one of these razors, I’m trying to track down more information.

I was 101% sure I read it here. Did Gillette suppress this story, as well as the razor?

I also check the urban legends website, but it’s not there either.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

From here:

I remember, back in the mid fifties when someone invented a razor blade that would never get dull. Guess what happened to that? Gillette bought up the patent and it’s been filed away forever.

Patents are PUBLIC.

You can buy the rights to a patent, but the patent is STILL PUBLIC.

The patent rights EXPIRE in 20 years.

So, if this story WERE true there would be a PUBLIC PATENT AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY who wanted to use it to manufacture a blade that NEVER gets dull.

While Gilette might not be interested in a razor that NEVER GETS DULL, the manufacturers of any number of devices would be scambling over themselves for such a thing.

This SAME CONCEPT applies to all other supposed patents that Big Oil or Big who-ever has supposedly “bought up”.

This is Urban Legend 101 stuff.

Interesting little variation on the UL you’ve got there, the bit about it being in Italy.

Unfortunately, Italian patents are public, too.

[kaylasdad99]

Hee-hee. One of the first collections of science fiction I ever read (back when I was in 4th grade) was Heinlein’s The Man Who Sold the Moon. The edition I read carried not only the original novella, but also some short stories, one of which was titled “Let There Be Light”, which centered on a couple of scientist/engineers and their quest to develop an inexpensive solar-powered light/energy device. In one of the conversations the two have (discussing the potential for the invention to be suppressed by corporate interests), the girl tells of her brother and this fabulous razor that he’s owned for years on end, that never loses its edge. She goes on to say that if he ever loses the razor, or breaks it, he’s out of luck, because the razor blade companies bought and suppressed the patent for the manufacturing technology.

If somebody wants to light up the One-Trick-Pony beacon, we might be able to get Fenris in here to expand on it.

[AskNott]

Another variation on the never-dulling razor tale is the idea that you can store your razor in a miniature pyramid in between shaves. The focus of cosmic rays or some other pyramidic miracle would resharpen the edge.

The population of the world has increased since Barnum’s day, so it’s probably a faster rate than one every minute.

[WritteninStone]

There exist knives made out of ultra-hard ceramic (usually zirconium dioxide) that are much sharper and last much longer then metal knives. Plus they dont rust.

If razor blades were made out of this ceramic, then they could exist for a very long time and some who like exaggerating would say forever. They might be too sharp for the skin to handle though.

[John_W.Kennedy]

Or they might be too fragile when made that thin.

[Contrapuntal]

@John W. Kennedy

Or they might be too fragile when made that thin.

That’s what I’m thinking. Sharp, but inflexible.

[Sapo]

@WritteninStone

There exist knives made out of ultra-hard ceramic (usually zirconium dioxide) that are much sharper and last much longer then metal knives. Plus they dont rust.

If razor blades were made out of this ceramic, then they could exist for a very long time and some who like exaggerating would say forever. They might be too sharp for the skin to handle though.

does anyone here have any experience with these ceramic knives? Are they good? are they durable? can you resharpen them? will they survive my wife using them in the garden?

since the time I worked at a butcher shop, I only buy $2 knives and resharpen them myself with amazing results.

[Cheesesteak]

@WritteninStone

If razor blades were made out of this ceramic, then they could exist for a very long time and some who like exaggerating would say forever. They might be too sharp for the skin to handle though.

Too sharp, you say?

I don’t think ceramic is good for heavy duty use in a garden. It’s too brittle, steel blades will flex under heavy use, ceramic will snap.

[WritteninStone]

@Cheesesteak

Too sharp, you say?

Make them less sharp?

[Defective_Detective]

Slight hijack. Have you guys tried the new Gillette 6-BLADE RAZOR called Fusion??? Yeah, ridiculous, I know - I only tried it 'cause I got one for free in the mail. I couldn’t say the shave was any closer than the Mach 3, but it was PAINFUL, that’s for sure. I guess that’s what it feels like when the blades are too sharp.