British razor manufacturer King of Shaves has launched a new self lubricating razor aimed at competing with industry giants Gillette.
The Hyperglide, which uses “superhydrophilic” technology so that users add water and shave, comes to the market after four years in research and development and backed by £5m in investment.
At its unveiling in London last night, it was also revealed that the technology for the razor had originally been developed by a UK university for use in the medical device industry.
Operating in a market which saw global sales fall 6.1% upto May 2013, King of Shaves founder and CEO Will King said the Hyperglide demonstrates the company’s pioneering approach to shaving technology.
“Launching Hyperglide is an iPhone moment for us. Competitor razors always require a shave prep – gel, foam or cream – to deliver a comfortable and close shave whereas with Hyperglide, water does the hard work,” he said.
King, who discussed the industry with The Manufacturer in an interview last year, added: “I view our competitors as stuck in the ‘mechanical button phone’ era – pressing on with the old, whilst we pioneer the new. It’s taken four years and £5m investment to develop and perfect this technology, which is a genuine shaving world first.”
