DE Blade Shape (Or What Are The End Tabs For)

[Shutterbug57]

Sometimes I think about inane things and wonder why they exist or what purpose they serve. In looking at the DE blade of today, it is basically a rectangle with two "tabs" on the ends (one on each end). Or, I suppose a rectangle with the corners clipped. In the early days, the blades seemed to be oval in appearance and the ends did not stick out of the razors like they do now.

Other than keeping the end of the razor from resting in a puddle if you sit the razor on its end while shaving, what useful purpose do the tabs serve? I appreciate y'all's input.

 

[sffone]

Some of the older Gillette razors had heads with corner "tabs" that helped position the blade, hence the corners of the blade had to be recessed to accommodate the tabs.

 

[velocityboy]

The tabs come in very handy when you take apart the razor and the wax spots have got the blade stuck to the cap or base. They are the only bit you can get hold of to remove the blade.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

All the various shapes to the modern blades are the culmination of many patents expiring over the decades. Every razor maker had to do something different to lock customers into their blades with their handles. So, all sorts of different blade location cutouts. But, all patents expire, and as they did every maker modified their blades to fit the other makes.

In the end, we get what we see now. A mess of cutouts, including the end notches and longer end tabs.

Stan

 

[Neffarious]

Thanks for the simplified explanation. I'll have to compare some of my NOS blades to a modern one to see how different the cutouts really are.

 

[VerbaVolant]

The tabs come in very handy when you take apart the razor and the wax spots have got the blade stuck to the cap or base. They are the only bit you can get hold of to remove the blade.

three seconds under the hot tap water will melt the wax and release the blade

 

[VerbaVolant]

...Other than keeping the end of the razor from resting in a puddle if you sit the razor on its end while shaving, what useful purpose do the tabs serve? I appreciate y'all's input.

I believe it was a patent so the blades could only fit certain razors (Probak). I might be wrong.


Evolution of the Double Edge Blade