Blade Disposal Slot in the Medicine Cabinet

I live in an old apartment building dating from 1968. The bathroom cabinet has a blade disposal slot built into it and when I drop a blade in I can hear it ping as it falls. I lived here for years without ever wondering what that slot was for, and it usually had items in front of it. When I got into wet shaving my 79-year-old mother told me that I could drop my used blades in the slot, and that those were standard in homes when she was young. Her apartment two miles from mine has one too.

I was wondering if anyone else has one of these cool retro blade disposal slots.

 

Had one. Would not want to be on the remodeling crew.

 

Before I started my tradional wet shaving journey, I remodeled 2 bathrooms and when I pulled the cabinets there were STACKS of DE blades and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how or why they were there. Then in my studies I read about this topic. In my cottage I put the old cabinet back in and checked it, and found the slot.

 

I thought of that too but I read somewhere else that building contractors are very familiar with these and don't have a problem with it. Anyway, my building is an eight-story concrete monster with tiny apartments. The next time my walls are broken into will probably be the day the whole building is demolished.

 

I remember as a kid having a slot in the medicine cabinet. Thanks for making a video!

 

Thanks for the reply! I've seen photos of stacks of old blades in walls that were taken by remodelers. I enjoy using mine for the convenience, but mainly for the old-fashioned aspect of it that goes along with using a razor that is over sixty years old.

 

Thanks for the reply! I can't remember if the house where I lived as a kid, in the suburbs of Philadelphia, had one but it was built in the late 50s or early 60s so might have. I will ask my mom.

 

I was banished from the upstairs bathroom (which I have remodeled). Fortunately the downstairs bathroom still has the old medicine cabinet so that's what I use for blade disposal. I figure if anyone is going to be tearing into that wall it will be me so I might as well use it.
I enjoy the convenience and the sound the blade makes as it falls .

 

Thanks for the reply! I agree about the fun of hearing the blade clink into the wall. I read a very funny exchange on another forum between someone who protested using these and a building contractor who pointed out that experienced people in the field are aware of these, and just sweep them into a dustpan and dispose of them in a building waste dumpster, and don't give it a second thought. It is against the rules of my apartment building for tenants to make structural changes to apartments, so nobody but a professional will ever have to deal with it.

 

I used to live in a craftsman style hom built in the 20's and it had one of these in the bathroom. Too bad I wasn't wet shaving then, I thought it was a great idea.

 

I agree! It is even more fun to use my vintage Gillette Rocket when I know that I am disposing of blades the way the razor's first owner likely did in the 50s. Also, great quote from "Breaking Away"; I was shown that movie when it was new in a high school class on an actual reel-to-reel projector and I remember my teacher laughing his head off at that line.

 

LOL I am very impressed that you recognized the quote from that movie. It's always been one of my favorite movies. Yes, I do ride bikes.

 

Another great bit of diaogue:
Mom: What's the matter?

Dad: He's shavin'.

Mom: Well... so what?

Dad: ...his legs.

 

Had one in both medicine cabinets in our home (built 1937) growing up.

 

Both bathrooms in the house in which I grew up had these slots. I wish I had one now. It'd be a real space saver!

 

I read about a guy who uses power tools a lot who cut one into his bathroom cabinet because he liked the idea so much.

 

I cut a slit/hole in the linen closet wall and drop my blades in there. The blade just falls to the floor between the studs. My wife probably doesn't even know its there

 

Power tools? Just push a drywall saw through and cut about an inch. Literally took 3 seconds

 

This guy cut a slot in his metal medicine cabinet above the sink.

 

Excellent solution to the problem!