Chapter 4 – The Hardest Part Is the Beginning
October 4, 1863.
After several months of waiting, Ernst finally saw the finished product. By using his connections and money, he found a metallurgy expert at a Berlin armaments factory who came up with a way to solve the blade problem. Thanks to the expert's many years of experience and wide knowledge, as soon as Ernst explained his requirements, the expert had a clear plan.
With this mature plan in hand, Ernst went to a factory in Berlin that specialized in custom industrial equipment. By using patents and technical drawings, he successfully introduced the first-generation T-shaped razor blade smelting machine. This caused Ernst's personal funds to shrink rapidly, but at least he now had results.
However, having the right equipment was only the first step. A single machine would not be enough for large-scale production, and there was still the problem of funding. At that point, he could not help using his identity as the son of a high-ranking noble to "borrow" money from his father.
Prince Constantin was already keeping an eye on his son's life in Berlin. One ordinary afternoon, he received a message from Berlin asking for help, and he didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. The sum of money was not small, but giving it to his son for a first business venture was still possible. As a major landowner in Germany, collecting rent alone provided him with plenty of income.
For Constantin, this was the family's first real investment in industry. Nurturing Ernst's independence mattered more to him than anything else. Only by letting him make his own decisions would he become a good successor in the future. And if he failed, then it was just the cost of learning. Better to let him learn now, while Constantin was still around, rather than leave him a huge inheritance but no practical experience. In a noble family, one's knowledge and life lessons were the best assets. Facing the harsh realities of society was an essential step in becoming a truly capable noble.
Prince Constantin's straightforward generosity greatly sped up Ernst's industrial plans. Thanks to his noble status, the necessary paperwork went smoothly. No one dared to make trouble for the son of a prince—especially one from the Hohenzollern family. Well-informed nobles across Berlin soon heard that old Prince Constantin's son was opening a factory. Most did not see much future in it. Although a few nobles did get involved in industry, top-tier nobles rarely handled it personally. Someone as hands-on as Ernst was practically unheard of.
After renting a plant and hiring workers and setting up the required facilities, Ernst opened his factory. The machinery needed many workers to operate it. People bustled about inside the workshop, constantly watching the machines. The furnaces and steam-driven engines demanded a huge amount of fuel, and black chimneys rose into the air. Black smoke often blanketed Berlin's sky, and wastewater flowed directly into the rivers on the outskirts—typical of an early industrial nation. Of course, this was the collective result of many factories. Ernst's little factory barely stood out in the crowd.
As the machines rumbled along, molten metal was shaped and cooled, then moved along steel rollers until workers took hold of it, shaping it into the final product. Next, other workers used machinery to cut the thin sheets. A different group collected them, and finally the pieces were packed in oil paper. That was the blade-making process. There was also a separate production line for the razor handles. Everything ran on an assembly line, greatly reducing waste and improving efficiency.
At that moment, Ernst was holding a finished razor from his own factory. He planned to test it out personally, so he decided to "try it" on someone else. "Peter, sit still and don't move," Ernst ordered. Peter, clearly nervous, sat rigidly on a chair, as though he was awaiting some terrifying ordeal. Ernst personally handled the razor. He soaped up the foam and spread it over Peter's face. Then, with light strokes of the razor, the whiskers fell away smoothly.
Peter, the first "test subject," was tense while receiving this service from his boss. Even though the new-style safety razor was supposed to be safer and more convenient, it was hard not to feel uneasy when someone else held the blade to your face. Luckily, everything went well. Ernst finished with the last stroke and handed Peter a towel to wipe his chin. "How do you feel?" Ernst asked curiously.
"Boss, in terms of product quality, there's definitely no problem. But I'm not sure if it can fetch a good price," Peter replied. He doubted how well it would sell, since such a new idea would be hard for people to accept quickly. There were already similar products on the market, but their principles were different. Peter thought maybe his boss was simply experimenting for fun, since he was still young. Ernst had never explained the real reason for making this device. But to Ernst, this so-called "old-fashioned" T-shaped razor from his previous world had been a huge success for a very long time. Even in an era of sophisticated appliances, some people still used T-shaped safety razors. They were classic designs that needed little change.
Their inventor in the other world, Gillette, had been in sales and came up with a cheap, disposable, and relatively safe razor based on his own everyday experiences. The profit model was distinctive, too. Unlike traditional straight razors where the blade and handle were a single unit, the Gillette design used disposable blades that could simply be thrown away once dull. There was no need to sharpen them, saving time, and the blade was enclosed by two pieces of metal, making it safer than a straight razor.
Even so, popularizing this new razor was going to be challenging. The first hurdle was to get the razor handle into people's hands. That was a major issue, as it took time for consumers to accept something unfamiliar. Only once they had an actual razor in their homes would they start buying replacement blades.
Ernst planned three ways to promote the new safety razor: send out door-to-door sales agents, find distributors, and increase advertising. Door-to-door sales were the most direct, with a salesperson explaining the razor's benefits and convincing buyers. The second approach—recruiting distributors—was trickier because the product was not widely known, so distributors might not be interested. That was why advertising was essential support. Ernst already had a general idea: post large posters on walls, showing how to use the new razor and listing its benefits. He would also include comparison images—one showing a man cutting his face with an old razor, and another showing him looking fresh and happy after using the new one. The words "Safer" would appear in large letters. He would emphasize the durability of the product (you could reuse the handle) and how it saved time and effort (the blades were replaceable and affordable).
After two months of promotion, the "Gillette" razor hit the market. That's right—Ernst even copied the name, not bothering to hide it. As he had expected, it didn't become an overnight sensation, but at least Berliners now knew about this product. Many families who had tried it became regular customers. After all, a metal handle could last for decades, so you only needed to buy blade sets at a small cost.
At this stage, Ernst's main task was to guarantee product quality. Other concerns became less pressing. Ernst appointed Peter as acting factory manager, with Ernst himself only coming in occasionally to check on things. Any profits would be spent to expand advertising and gradually spread from Berlin to other cities, and then throughout the German states. Currently, the production line could meet demand across the German states.
Once Ernst's product covered all of Germany, he would decide on the next step. He might expand production further or plan to sell in the rest of Europe, America, and other regions. He might also invest in new industries. All this depended on strong razor sales. But that would take time, and Ernst had neither the spare money nor the leisure to think beyond the razor business right now. Only when it turned a profit would he consider what came next.
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