It resembles a scenario out of a horror movie: a youthful, optimistic family relocates into a new home.
old home
, ready to fix it up, but when they knock down their bathroom wall, hundreds of old, rusty razor blades come pouring out. Yep, you heard that right. Not a key ring that fell out of a gaping pocket or a pile of old nails—but
blades embedded in the walls
!
This seemingly frightening occurrence is much more prevalent than you may realize. There’s actually a sensible rationale behind your peculiar wall pattern.
To solve the puzzle of why there might be razor blades hidden within a house’s walls, we consulted Richard D’Angelo, who serves as the project manager at JWE Remodeling and Roofing. Should you encounter this situation,
renovating your home
Or those who might encounter them in the future (or are, like us, just curious!), continue reading to understand why finding razor blades in walls should not cause alarm.
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What appearance do these razor blades embedded in the walls have?
The cutting implements you could come across aren’t typical plastic disposable blades or anything that would suit a contemporary model.
men’s or women’s razor
Instead, the blades come from what are known as safety razors, which were widely used during the early 1900s.
In 1903, Gillette launched the initial safety razor designed to provide men with a safer and more user-friendly alternative for home grooming compared to the traditional straight-edged razors commonly found in barber shops. Although mastering these blades required slightly more effort than contemporary models, they represented significant progress in ease of use. Before long, this new method became widely adopted across the board.
Between their inception and the 1950s, these razors—which were essential since they represented the sole technique for men to shave at home—started causing
big
problem.
What led to the blades ending up in the walls?
The concept of inserting the razor blades into the wall stemmed directly from an increasing issue: How should one dispose of spent blades?
Since the blades were sharp and frequently tainted with skin, hair, and sometimes blood, discarding them along with regular waste wasn’t an option. In the 1930s and ’40s, people attempted this practice when rubbish was commonly incinerated and the resulting ash used as fertilizer in gardens. However, razor blades usually endured these fires’ minimal heat levels, posing significant dangers to both garden workers and animals alike.
It was evident that individuals required another way to dispose of their waste, and during the 1950s, they discovered one…
designed
One,” D’Angelo explained, “old medicine cabinets were built directly into the wall itself.
Reader’s Digest
These older models featured a slot at the rear for disposing of used blades; this design enabled the discarded blades to drop behind the walls, settling above the lower plate within the space between the framing studs.
The end result: piles of razor blades collecting within the walls. No wonder homeowners today mistake this renovation discovery for a
hidden home danger
! (For a shocking visual, check out the photo above, taken by Atlanta builder Nancy Keenan, founder and owner of Harris Park Homes, when demolishing a home from the 1920s.)
What was the intended long-term strategy for those razor blades placed in the walls?
The concept was that it would require hundreds of years to fill the gap between the walls with minuscule, individual blades. By that time, people figured, we would have come up with an alternative solution.
They weren’t entirely incorrect. We
did
Develop fresh substitutes instead. As advanced techniques for shaving emerged alongside the introduction of modern medicine cabinets, people frequently sealed off wall openings without much consideration. Sadly, inserting a razor blade into these disposal slots largely fell out of use—unless one decides to demolish an older wall, that is.
We’ve discovered piles of razor blades hidden within the walls multiple times during our inspections.
renovates and restores vintage houses
D’Angelo explains, “At one point, they were discovered in the ceiling of the ground floor: They had fallen through the wall from the upstairs bathroom, dropping down a gap meant for plumbing pipes right into the kitchen’s ceiling space. Upon tearing out the outdated plaster ceiling, these items started falling like rain. Fortunately, nobody got injured!”
FAQs
Are all vintage homes equipped with a mailslot?
Many homes constructed from the 1920s through the 1970s typically include this characteristic. Prior to the 1950s, dealing with discarded blades lacked an ideal resolution. As such, individuals became inventive; they inserted them into gaps within walls and sometimes hid them beneath thick rugs. Even following the introduction of medicine cabinets featuring compartments for razors, some persisted with their own homemade methods. According to the fact-checking site Snopes, a well-designed slot for discarding razor blades can usually be seen in residences erected during that fifty-year span from the ’20s to ’70s.
At what point did people cease discarding razor blades in walls?
Around the 1970s, people stopped using razor blade disposal slots. New and better blades introduced by Bic led to the replacement of traditional safety razors that were common in previous decades. Since these newer blades had a longer lifespan, they required fewer disposals. As a result, most individuals discovered that getting rid of the new plastic razors was far simpler.
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Sources
:
-
Richard D’Angelo, who serves as the project manager at
JWE Remodeling and Roofing -
GQ
How to Use a Safety Razor for Shaving -
Gillette
: “Safety Razor History” -
Snopes
An older home might contain razor blades within its walls.


