Global Gillette

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Global Gillette (formerly The Gillette Company) was founded by King C. Gillette in 1901 as a safety razor manufacturer. It was based in Boston, Massachusetts.

On October 1, 2005, The Gillette Company finalized its purchase by Procter & Gamble. As a result of this merger, the Gillette Company no longer exists. Its last day of market trading - symbol G on the New York Stock Exchange - was September 30, 2005. The merger created the world's largest personal care and household products company.

Before the merger, Gillette had grown to become a leading global supplier of products under a variety of brands. In addition to Gillette, the company marketed under Braun, Duracell and Oral-B, among others.

Gillette will continue on as a brand name, as it is known the world over for its razor blades, in large part due to its status as a pioneer of shaving technology.

Gillette firsts

• Safety razor (Gillette Safety Razor 1901)
• Razor designed specifically for women (Milady Décolletée, 1916)
• Razor dispenser (1946)
• Stainless Steel blades (Super Stainless, 1963)
• Double-blade razor (Trac II, 1971)
• Disposable double-blade razor (Good News!, 1971)
• Razor with a pivot point (Atra, 1977)
• Razor with a lubricating strip (Atra Plus, 1985)
• Razor with spring-loaded blades (Sensor, 1990)
• Razor with microfins (Sensor Excel, 1995)
• Razor with three blades (Mach 3, 1998)
• Razor with battery power (M3Power, 2004)
• Razor with five blades (Fusion, 2006)
• Razor with rear trim blade (Fusion, 2006)

Current Gillette products

Trac II Plus: The Trac II was the world's first two-blade razor, debuting in 1971 to rave reviews. The second blade allows men to shave their faces in a little more than half the strokes of previous razors, which cut both shaving time and facial irritation. The Trac II Plus was introduced following the introduction of the Atra Plus, and is the same as the original Trac II, with the singular exception of a lubricating strip at the top of the blade, reducing the need for aftershave. Trac II Plus blades work on the original Trac II razor. The razors themselves can be difficult to find, but are still sold. Trac II Plus blades are far less scarce, as Gillette normally sells all of its blades ranging from the Trac II to the Fusion in most major shops such as Target.

Atra: The Atra was the first razor to feature a pivoting head, which enables the blades to "stay on your beard longer for extra closeness". It also makes it easier for men to shave their necks. These razors gained an infamous reputation as the first to be constantly stolen by wives and girlfriends, who found that the pivoting head made knees, ankles, and the backs of legs far easier to shave than before. Blades are sold nationwide.

Atra Plus: The Atra Plus was the first razor to add a lubricating strip, the Lubra-Soft strip. This strip helps soften whiskers, making them easier to cut, and also works as a sort of a low-tech aftershave. Blades are sold nationwide, and razors are available at some stores.

Sensor: The Gillette Sensor was the first razor to have spring-loaded blades. Rather than cutting the skin, these blades recede into the cartridge head should they hit flesh. This in turn allowed Gillette to move their blades far closer to the surface of the cartridge, which makes for a closer shave than ever before. Sensor razors and cartridges are available everywhere shaving supplies are sold.

Sensor for Women: Nearly identical to a Sensor in terms of technology, this razor has a much wider head; this reduces control but also greatly reduces the chance of cutting oneself, which is a much greater problem for women - who often cannot see what they are doing, shave larger areas of the body, and often shave more delicate areas than men. Available anywhere.

Sensor Excel: The Gillette Sensor Excel was the first razor to include MicroFins on the cartridge head. MicroFins are essentially a piece or rubber with slits at the top, which in theory stand up hair so that the blades can get a closer cut. They also reduce irritation when shaving against the grain. The grip on the handle is also superior to the grip on the Gillette Sensor. The Excel did not capture the imagination of America's men as its previous razors did. Cartridges and razors are available nationwide.

Sensor Excel for Women: The Sensor for women, but with MicroFins. These can be found at any shaving supply outlet.

Mach 3: The first three-blade razor. Three blades allows fewer strokes and less irritation. This razor improved on a number of previous technologies, with improved spring blades, improved lubrication, improved microfins, and a pivot head with much greater bendability. It also was the first razor to use the indicator technology to show when a blade needed to be changed: a blue strip fades as the razor is used; when it is nearly white, you are supposed to change the blade. The grip on the Mach 3 was also a marked improvement over the Sensor Excel. Mach 3 cartridges are the world's best selling razor blades. They are sold at virtually every supermarket, drugstore, convenience store and mass retailer in the western world.

Venus: Based on the Mach 3, but with the traditional extra protection for women. The world's best selling women's razor, it has the same availability as the Mach 3.

Mach 3 Turbo: A Mach 3 with ten microfins (as opposed to five on the original), an improved lubrication strip, and a better grip. Available everywhere, in varying colors.

Venus Divine: The Venus version of the Mach 3 Turbo. Available in most places.

M3 Power: A Mach 3 Turbo with a fatter handle containing a battery which, when turned on, causes the razor to vibrate, which theoretically lifts hairs off the face for a closer shave. It also has fifteen microfins as well as improved lubrication over the Mach 3 Turbo. Mach 3 blades are interchangeable across the line. Available world wide, also in black (Nitro).

Venus Vibrance: The Venus M3 Power. Available in most places. Venus blades are interchangeable across the line.

Fusion: On January 26, 2006, Gillette unveiled a new razor, the "Fusion," which has five blades set 30% closer than Mach 3 blades, plus two lubricating stips (one pre-stroke and one post-stroke), as well as an additional blade on the back for trimming upper lip hair or sideburns. (This move from three to five blades and the addition of a second lubricating strip was predicted by satire news paper The Onion in Feburary 2004 [1].)

Fusion Power: Released concurrently with the Fusion, the Fusion Power features vibrating capability, which allegedly enables a closer shave. It requires one AAA battery.

See also

• Procter & Gamble
• Shave
• Razor
• Oral-B
• Duracell
• Gillette Stadium

External links

• Procter & Gamble Official Site
• Gillette Company Official Site
• Braun Official Site
• Duracell Official Site
• Oral-B
• History of Gillette