Classification: Safety Razors - 'T'-shaped/double-sided

The 'T'-shaped razor with disposable double-edged blades, like this 'Merkur' model from Germany, has been one of the dominant razor shapes since its initial introduction at the turn of the century. The blades are the only ones with two cutting edges, which doubles the amount of shaving which can be done by a single blade. Moreover, the blades are intended to be immediately disposable, which is a significant change over other styles which require - or at least suggest - that blades be honed, stropped and re-used. This combination of design features made the 'T'-shaped razor simpler in style and packaging than most of its direct competitors, such as injector blades or 'auto-strop' mechanisms.