The Philishave shavers are a popular series of electrical shavers manufactured by Philips and have very loyal customers. Many of the Philishave models are part of collector clubs. Philips began in 1891 in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. It soon became one of the most successful electronics companies in the world. From making electric bulbs, x-ray tubes and radios, Philips’ popularity surged after inventing the rotary heads of electric shavers.
The Philishave was invented by engineer Alexandre Horowitz. He changed the reciprocating cutters with rotating cutters, like those in a lawnmower, which made for a smoother shave. The first Philishave was designed like a cigar and its cutters were made of bronze. Because the metal is soft, the cutters would become blunt quickly so an advanced shaver was made from steel.
Initially the Philishave had three cutters, later they changed it to six, calling the model the Philishave 6. However, the production had to be limited due to World War II. After the war, Philips had to improve on design and technology to keep ahead of competition from shavers with better shapes and in brighter colours. Philips could not make a mark in the US so it came out with a complete ivory model called “the mouse”. However, this was soon replaced by an ergonomic egg-shaped single-head shaver.
Rival designs had multiple heads so Philips changed again and released a new double-headed shaver, which shaved much faster. With this, the company succeeded in capturing the US market. It sold shavers in the US under the brand name Norelco but continued with Philishave in Europe. The Philishave improved still further with a flip-top cleaning system and later models fit the face perfectly. They even added a built-in trimmer.
In 1966, Philips released its triple-headed shaver. This became the standard Philishave in years to come. The Rota 80, as the name suggests, was invented in 1980. It was unique as it lifted the hair a split second before cutting it. This too became a Philishave standard. The Rota 80 was made sleeker in 1983.
Though Philips manufactured the battery-powered shaver, it only gained popularity in the 1980s because the bulk of the transformer was now lighter and better batteries were available. By 1990, Philips had entered the market for the first-time shaver. With rounded shapes and bright colours, the Philishave tempted young shavers. In the same year Philips came out with a model that promised to give as little irritation as possible by moisturising before shaving. Philips also made the Ladyshave – a separate line of shavers for women. Philips is now discontinuing all brand names and will only use “Philips” as a brand on all products. However, the Philishave will live on with collectors and books like Shaving, from straight razor to Philishave.
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