North Carolina These Dangerous Items Might Be Hidden In Your Walls

If your house was constructed prior to 1970, it's highly probable that there could be razor blades embedded in your walls.

This occurrence is more prevalent than one might presume. But what could be the reason for this?

What is a safety razor?

A safety razor is a type of shaving device that became popular during the early twentieth century. They use double-edged blades and were introduced in 1903 by Gillette to offer a safer and easier option for men to shave at home, compared to the straight-edge razors commonly used at barbershops. Although these razors may require a bit more time to master compared to modern ones, they were significantly more user-friendly than earlier options, leading to widespread use.

How did the blades end up in the walls?

The question emerged of how to safely dispose of used blades. During the 30s and 40s, people attempted to burn the blades with their trash, but the blades survived the low temperatures and caused safety issues for gardeners when the ash was used in gardens. Therefore, a new method of disposal was necessary.

In the 1950s, a solution was found. Old medicine cabinets were built into the interior walls of houses, explained Richard D’Angelo, a Project Manager at JWE Remodeling and Roofing. These old units featured a slot in the back that was used for throwing away used blades, which would then drop into the hollow space between the wall framing studs and pile up on top of the bottom-plate stud.

The thinking was that the tiny single blades would take hundreds of years to fill up the spaces in the walls and that a new solution would have been developed by then.

As shaving technology improved and new medicine cabinets were installed, the wall slots were usually sealed over and largely forgotten. That is until someone decides to demolish an old wall and discovers them.

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