King C. Gillette / "Gillette"

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The fate of many ingenious ideas is that, that for a recognition it some time is necessary to live and develop independently. King Kemp Zhilett has come a long way before the consumer has understood importance and its utility simple, but so irreplaceable today inventions. But King's merit not only that he has thought up and has entered into use of all mankind a safety razor. It has imparted to buyers new culture of consumption - disposable when the thing after first use does not serve as years, and easily and is easy thrown out. The brilliant idea bears fruit till now: the new ideology has opened the whole epoch of disposable handkerchiefs, lighters, glasses and plates. Every year ideological followers ZHiletta master new spheres of manufacture, doing the world of things more and more disposable.

The fate of many ingenious ideas is that, that for a recognition it some time is necessary to live and develop independently. King C. Gillette has come a long way before the consumer has understood importance and its utility simple, but so irreplaceable today inventions. But King's merit not only that he has thought up and has entered into use of all mankind a safety razor. It has imparted to buyers new culture of consumption - disposable when the thing after first use does not serve as years, and easily and is easy thrown out. The brilliant idea bears fruit till now: the new ideology has opened the whole epoch of disposable handkerchiefs, lighters, glasses and plates. Every year ideological followers ZHiletta master new spheres of manufacture, doing the world of things more and more disposable.

Probably, that summer morning far 1895 King has woken up not in the best mood. Unshaven, he has looked in a mirror at the overgrown physiognomy and its reaction was quite predicted … as well as at millions men sometimes, especially in the mornings, irrespective of their education, the country of residing, style of speech and a trade. All of them equally hate procedure of morning shaving. In particular the stupid razor. In that morning 40-year-old King C. Gillette, the successful agent on sales of bottle stoppers of new type as though has understood all of them at once.

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And on the nature it was the dreamer. And its dream was something to invent, think up - something simple, perfect and irreplaceable.

King Kemp Zhilett was born and has grown in America, in provincial small town with sonorous French name Fond du Lac (Lake Depth) the State of Wisconsin. All here always went the turn, slowly, habits varied seldom, new trends did not try to find at all the audience, winter evenings were long, persons - bearded, foundations - patriarchal. Live and enterprising King felt here the superfluous person. In addition stirred the considerable vanity inherited from the father. Zamshelost Lake Depth obviously pretila to both of them.

To be engaged in business and to educate the son, the father Zhiletta-younger has transported a family in Chicago. Its main argument was unshakable: «the Big city - the big possibilities». Without thinking twice, the Zhilett-senior has opened there a workshop on repair and service of sewing-machines. It brought in the quite good income, and it inspired hopes of the best.

The fire of 1871 in Chicago has broken its far-sighted plans. And not only it … Legendary accident has responded in the American history a loud echo, having destroyed many dreams and having melted destinies. The workshop has burnt down, and from it and all business. Soon the father has washed down, and King had to take the family maintenance on itself.

It has found job quickly. The small company on sale of household trifles, from toothpicks to soap, has politely accepted the smiling and vigorous young man on a post of the trading agent. To sell King was able and has quickly won reputation of the perspective worker. It drove about with the goods not only on the American open spaces, but has mastered also England, having cut through the companies on which fairly worked, a window to Europe. But the children's dream to become the inventor did not leave it. Time only urged on its passion: the end of 19 centuries was an epoch of inventions - phone and radio, electric bulbs and cars.

In 1891 Mr. Zhilett has moved to Baltimore and was arranged on new job in firm Baltimore Seal Company, making corkscrews and stoppers. It has made friends with William Pojnterom, the inventor of a corkscrew and a brass cover with an internal pith lining - that which associates today, first of all, with a vodka bottle. On the first Sunday of month that has invited King to a dinner. Acquaintance it was promising: new friends had general interests in the field of engineering novelties. Soon Sunday dinners have become regular, and in the conversations about miracles of engineering thought story-tellers dreamt with all the heart.

Conversation on the next opening was by all means accompanied by opening and drinking of a bottle of the Californian wine or even the French cognac. Once, uncorking the next bottle and looking at a graceful cover of own invention, the Pointer has thoughtfully noted: «Perhaps, the main charm of my stopper in its cheapness and fragility. Has opened a bottle, has few times twirled there-here, and all - on a dustbin. King, think of it!»

This thought was pleasant to King. From it blew as novelty. He many times said that it is time to reject ambitions of inventors of the last centuries which applied for eternity. He sincerely considered, that it is necessary to be easier. No sooner said than done. It is made - it is used. It is used - it is thrown out. Very much in the spirit of time.

… 20 years later he recollected, perhaps, most significant morning of the life so: «I have looked in a mirror and, having started to have a shave, have there and then found out, that my razor hopelessly tupa. It was not simply tupa, namely is hopeless. To grind her to me was not under force. It was necessary to go to the hairdresser or to a grinding workshop. I stood, perplexed looking on the razor, and here here in my head and the idea was born. Or a picture. I do not know. Anyway, I precisely know, that during this instant and the razor was born zhilettovskaja. I have seen it entirely, in one second have set to myself tens questions and have responded to each of them. All occurred quickly as in a dream, and reminded more likely revelation, than rational reflexion».

The American razors of the end of 90th years of 19 centuries almost in accuracy repeated, as it is surprising, the drevneegipetsky a prototype. They consisted of an edge which back part has been tightly soldered in in the handle. Idea ZHiletta consisted that the back part is not necessary. It is enough to grind a thin strip of a steel from two parties and to fix it in the simple demountable horizontal holder who, in turn, would be attached to the handle perpendicularly. As soon as an edge tupilos, it it was possible to throw out and insert the new. The design was extremely simple. But only at first sight. There have passed 11 years of tests and errors before the invention has brought though cent, but King yet did not know about it. As he did not know anything about properties of a steel, and about razors in general.

Its first actions after opening of the new invention were that: to begin with he has written the enthusiastic letter to the wife that their comfortable future is provided, then has run in a household shop and has bought there a hank of a steel tape for manufacturing of hour springs, the elementary tools and a drawing paper. With all it it has gone home and a week later showed to light the first razor with disposable edges. On change to struggle for durability of an edge struggle for cheapness has come. King has been assured of success of the enterprise. After all the tape hank cost only 16 cents for pound, and from pound, by its calculations, 500 edges should turn out.

Absence of a technical education at the experimenter-innovator has had an effect very soon. The steel for a new product was required high quality, is much more expensive than that of which do hour and other springs. The cheap steel was necessary thin, strong and thus. King not suspecting about it has gone mad on the idea, producing all new and new updatings of the razor literally.

For the next 8 years of experiences, in wearisome struggle for cheapness of an edge it has spent more than $25 thousand It almost with anybody did not see and for days on end stayed in laboratory or over drawings. He addressed to experts, but those advised to throw senseless searches, explaining what to temper a steel strip of such thickness - all the same what to try to sew a dress from a thread. Probably, if ZHilett has received a corresponding technical education, it would give for a long time up as a bad job and has surrendered, because the rational approach to this question directed at such desolate thoughts. But it did not recede - after all it was the ideologist and the inspirer.

Business was put in motion in 1900 when William Nikerson undertook a technical embodiment zhilettovskoj ideas, the graduate of the Massachusetsky institute of technology. Nikerson has developed technology of strengthening and sharpening of a steel tape. Some more months of job - and the decision are found. ZHilett has finished working out of definitive model, its voluntary imprisonment has terminated.

But there was an unforeseen circumstance - beards again began to enter into a fashion. The first representatives of royal surnames of Europe have started to carry a beard, and then the wave has come and to America. To break a fashion it will not be possible, but after all the compromise is possible. And ZHilett it has found - the compromise were well-known zhilettovskie the moustaches which have become subsequently by a firm symbol of the company. However, in their magic force those to whom he tried to offer the invention did not believe still neither the owner of moustaches, nor. Friends joked, and investors and engineers remained are indifferent.

And still ZHilettu it was possible to convince several friends to enclose in business the small sums as the initial capital. On September, 28th, 1901 ZHilett, Nikerson and more two partners have registered company American Safety Razor Company in Boston, and a month later have received the patent for a safety razor. To start manufacture there was no only one trifle - money. Then ZHilett and partners declared, that their company (staff of 8 persons and zero actives) costs … $500 thousand! Also have let out in free sale of 40 % of actions which managed taki to be sold in 40 times more cheaply face value. Collected $5 thousand have allowed them to begin job.

The first disposable razors have appeared in the market in 1903. This year it was possible to sell 51 razor and 168 edges. In the following - 91 thousand razors and 123 thousand edges. By 1908 the sales volume has exceeded $13 million During the First World War a fashion on beards naturally has come to naught - demand for razors has sharply grown, hour of triumph ZHiletta has come. Marching conditions of a wartime demanded life simplification, and here disposable razors were very opportunely. They solved at once set of problems: were cheap, simple in circulation (now everyone could have a shave itself, without assistance, not being afraid to be cut), did not demand leaving and, being disposable, guaranteed gigienichnost. Zhilettovsky razors have started to disperse in unknown quantities. By 1917 1 million razors and 120 million edges annually was on sale.

War has ended, and the habit to have a shave independently remained. «Who shaves the well-known paradox bradobreja if it shaves only those who has not a shave itself?» Has disappeared. There has come 1921. 20-year-old term of the initial exclusive patent expired, and it meant, that the next day after its termination any company could throw out disposable razors on the market and make ZHilettu a competition. There were hearings, that some manufacturers are ready to let out cheap imitation zhilettovskih razors. The destiny of the company hung by a thread. Six months prior to the expiry of the term of patent ZHilett has developed and has let out new model by $1 for a piece (the previous cost from $5). That year the company income was record.

By 1930 company Gillette has merged with the basic competitor. Up to the beginning of the Second World War it continued to extend. The razor in which the edge has been inserted into the integral plastic case has entered into a fashion. After its use threw out everything, and not just an edge. Besides, the company began to make shaving accessories and shaving creams. In 1947, already after death of the inventor (he has died in 1932), the disposable razor has gone through a rebirth. On change to the habitual, separate edges turned in an oiled paper safe cartridges with the built in edges have come. Then in 1957 there was first razor Gillette with a mobile head. Last model zhilettovskoj razors with three edges under name Mach many times flashed in preview trailers on screens of the Russian TVs. And we, as well as all progressive mankind, have joined a civilised disposable channel, having brought the contribution to milliard sales of razors, 40-milliard sales of edges, in job of thousand factories not only in America, but also in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, England, France, Germany and Switzerland.

The 77-year-old founder odnorazovosti shortly before death as a real man has modestly noticed: «From all great inventions the disposable razor - greatest of trifles». The trifle has appeared really great - the well-known seller sijuminutnosti has left in the inheritance to the family one of the largest statuses in America.