Today, December 2, is National Safety Razor Day.  People have been shaving since prehistoric times, when they used things like sharpened clam shells to scrape the stubble off their faces.  When metals were invented, they used those.  Pretty much, though, early razors were all the same, looking very much like the more modern straight razor – a big straight-edged knife.  One of the biggest problems with straight razors was that they needed to be constantly sharpened, or “stropped,” which involved rubbing it on a leather strap.  And I supposed you’d get good at using one, but that’s a really sharp blade, and that’s my neck.  It just doesn’t seem very… safe.  It wasn’t until 1908 that King Camp Gillette, founder of the Gillette Company, began mass-producing safety razor blades – a two-sided blade that fit into a handle and could be replaced when it got dull.  Many older homes (such as mine) featured a slot in the bathroom wall where you could dispose of your used blades.  They filled up the space in the wall between the studs, making for some really interesting finds when remodeling your house.  By the way, Styptic Pencils – a pencil-like device that used alum to stop bleeding after nicking oneself while shaving – was first introduced in 1908, at the same time of the safety razor.