The War of the Razors: Gillette-Schick Fight Over Patent Shows the Cutthroat World of Consumer Products

Abstract

David VerNooy is happy to talk about almost any detail of Schick-Wilkinson Sword's new Quattro, the world's first four-blade razor. Any detail, that is, except the positioning of the blades themselves. VerNooy, a mechanical engineer who led Quattro's design team, will tell you about giving the handle a certain heft -- akin to a weighty knife or fork that feels good in the hand-- to convey a sense of quality. He'll tell you about attaching electrical nodes to mens' wrists to determine the most ergonomically sound handle.