How razor blades are made

The first reusable stainless steel blades arrived in 1960, from a Sheffield maker of ceremonial swords.

stations: 6
things upstream: 37
raw sources: 16
steps from the ground: 7

The short version

A razor blade is a thin ribbon of hardened steel. Stainless strip runs through a hardening furnace and a quench, then is ground to a wedge along its edge. A strengthening metal layer is sputtered on and a slippery fluoropolymer is sintered over it. The ribbon is then cut into individual blades and mounted in cartridges.

Roll the ribbon

Stainless steel is rolled into a very thin strip, then slit to the width of a blade.

Goes in
Stainless steel
Punch the holes

A die punches the slots and notches that will later hold each blade in its cartridge.
Harden the strip

The ribbon runs through a hardening furnace and an abrupt quench, then a tempering furnace that adds toughness.
Grind the wedge

Abrasive wheels grind both faces of the edge down in stages, until they meet at a fine tip.
Coat the edge

Blades are stacked with their edges aligned, and a hard layer of metal such as chromium is sputtered on. A fluoropolymer is then applied and heated until it clings to the edge, so it glides across skin.

Goes in
Chromium PTFE
Cut into blades

The ribbon is chopped into single blades, which drop into cartridges or onto handles.

End of the lineRazor blade

Worth repeating

The oldest razor-like object has been dated to 18,000 BC.
Stainless steel blades that could be used more than once appeared in 1960 from the Wilkinson firm of Sheffield.
Early safety-razor blades were meant to be thrown away after a single use because they were so hard to sharpen.