Building an industry-defying razor took years of research and development. 11 years, to be exact. It helped us build a lot of revolutionary features into the SL5 razor, and chief among them is our rare earth magnetic cartridge attachment. It’s a game changer, for good reason. 

When we first set out to design a razor unlike anything before it, we knew we needed something simple, elegant, but powerful. We found inspiration in other cool gear that's been redefining how we use everyday products. One such cue? Apple - from their legacy laptop chargers to their all new Magsafe tech - both of which use magnets to seamlessly connect the device and the power source. 

That wasn't the only example. Magnets have proven themselves to be useful solutions for a variety of applications - for everything from medical imaging to jewelry that helps alleviate aches and pains from arthritis. It got our wheels turning on how we could make a revolutionary cartridge system for our razor. 

But we also had specific goals in mind: sustainability, safety, and simplicity of design. Strap in, because we’re about to geek out about how our magnetic attachment satisfies all three:

1. Sustainability

The attachment mechanism has three jobs: attach your cartridge to your handle easily, keep it attached while in use, and detach it just as easily when it’s time for a new blade. Many legacy razors have a lot of moving parts at the top of the handle that allow you to fasten and release the cartridge as needed. The challenge is that these mean you could have to replace your entire handle every few years. Not only can this be expensive, it’s also wasteful.

Using a magnet as our attachment mechanism allowed us to eliminate every moving part from our all-metal handle, and create something that can actually last a lifetime. And if you’re worried about demagnetization, don’t be - generally, rare earth magnets lose only about 1% of their magnetic strength every 100 years.

2. Safety

The last thing anybody wants when handling a sharp blade is to worry it might suddenly come loose. In our experience, not all cartridges are easy to snap onto or off of the handle, and we wanted to solve for that. 

It shouldn’t be that hard (or dangerous) to change your blades, and our magnetic attachment offers an ideal solution. By using a unique, asymmetrical shape between the handle and cartridge, we produced a safe and secure cartridge attachment. The magnet also clicks in place, giving you an audible cue that your razor is ready to shave. 

3. Simplicity of Design

As we mentioned above, the magnetic attachment enabled us to remove a bunch of small, complex parts in favor of something simple and sleek, without sacrificing performance. This was hugely important to us, not only because it made our shaving system easier and more sustainable, but also because it allowed for a better shave.

Without the extra parts, we were able to create an open architecture form at the head of the razor, giving users greater visibility of their face while shaving. Think of it like a car with way fewer blind spots. And, we may be biased, but it just looks really cool. It’s style comes with a lot of substance, though, since the open-head design optimizes the balance of the all-metal handle, which makes the SL5 feel more like a precision tool. It gives you excellent control, and therefore, a better shave.

The Bottom Line

Achieving a simpler attachment design that also improved function was no easy feat. Ask any great designer or engineer: it’s often the simplest, most elegant solutions that are the hardest to develop. But, we started Shavelogic to tackle hard problems and build a razor with no equal. Developing our magnetic attachment was a central part of that mission.

A great shave is worth a thousand words and we could go on about our magnet - but ultimately, we’ll be quiet, and let you experience it for yourself.