

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1894).

From a memorial postcard



1899 Kampfe advertisement.



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Atlantic magazine (later republished as a book “



The Star razor was very successful. In March 1887 Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. described a very useful bon voyage gift in an article inmagazine (later republished as a book “ Our One Hundred Days in Europe ”): “This little affair had a blade only an inch and a half long by three quarters of an inch wide. It had a long slender handle, which took apart for packing, and was put together with the greatest ease. It was, in short, a lawn-mower for the masculine growth of which the proprietor wishes to rid his countenance. The mowing operation required no glass, could be performed with almost reckless boldness, as one cannot cut himself, and in fact had become a pleasant amusement instead of an irksome task. I have never used any other means of shaving from that day to this. I was so pleased with it that I exhibited it to the distinguished tonsors of Burlington Arcade, half afraid that they would assassinate me for bringing in an innovation which bid fair to destroy their business. ... I determined to let other persons know what a convenience I had found the "Star Razor" of Messrs. Kampf [ sic ], of Brooklyn, New York, without fear of reproach for so doing. ... It is pure good-will to my race which leads me to commend the Star Razor to all who travel by land or by sea, as well as to all who stay at home.”



Holmes' namesake son became famous as a Justice of the Supreme Court, and for years after O. W. Holmes Sr. had died, Kampfe ads proclaimed “Recommended by Oliver Wendell Holmes.”











Even before the first Kampfe patent expired in 1897 the Star razor was widely copied and sold in the U.S. and abroad – often labeled American Model . At that point Kampfe Brothers began to advertise more frequently, often including the statement "All Others are Spurious." They broadened their product line to include a variety of cased sets containing up to seven blades, razors with fancy handles such as rosewood or ivory, stropping devices, and shaving accessories.



The Star blade still required stropping prior to each use and occasional skillful honing. This spawned many patents on stropping and honing devices. The Kampfe brothers ultimately acquired over 50 patents on razors and stropping devices and "automatic" stroppers were included in their high-end razor sets. Over the years the Kampfe Brothers produced over 25 design variations of the Star wedge-blade safety razor.



Competitors were encouraged by the success of the Star. Between 1880 and 1901, over 80 safety razor patents were issued in the U.S. alone . Gillette's 1904 patent inspired an even greater explosion of safety razor creativity, but that is another, and much longer, story.









