A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric shavers.

While the razor has been in existence since before the Bronze Age (the oldest razor-like object has been dated to 18,000 BC), the most common types of razors currently used are the safety razor and the electric razor.

Razors have been identified from many Bronze Age cultures. These were made of bronze or obsidian and were generally oval-shaped, with a small tang protruding from one of the short ends.

Various forms of razors were used throughout history, which were different in appearance but similar in use to modern straight razors. In prehistoric times, items such as clam shells, shark teeth, and flint were sharpened and used to shave with. Drawings of such blades were found in prehistoric caves. Some tribes still use blades made of flint to this day. Excavations in Egypt have unearthed solid gold and copper razors in tombs dating back to the 4th millennium BC. Razors were used and manufactured in Kerma during the Bronze Age. Several razors, as well as other personal hygiene artifacts, were recovered from Bronze Age burials in northern Europe and are believed to belong to high-status individuals. The Roman historian Livy reported that the razor was introduced in ancient Rome in the 6th century BC by the legendary king Lucius Tarquinius Priscus.

The first modern straight razor, complete with decorated handles and hollow-ground blades, was constructed in Sheffield, in England; in the 18th and 19th centuries, England was considered to be the center of the cutlery industry. Benjamin Huntsman produced the first superior hard steel grade, through a special crucible process, suitable for use as blade material in 1740, though it was first rejected in England. Huntsman's process was adopted by the French sometime later, albeit reluctantly at first because of nationalist sentiments. English manufacturers were even more reluctant than the French to adopt the process and only did so after they saw its success in France. Sheffield steel (also called Sheffield silver steel) is a highly polished steel, famous for its deep gloss finish. It is considered to be of superior quality and is still used to this day in France by such manufacturers as Thiers Issard.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the wealthy had servants to shave them or could visit barbershops. Daily shaving was not a widespread practice in the 19th century; some never shaved at all. The custom of everyday shaving among American men only began after World War I. Men were required to shave daily so their gas masks would fit properly. This became much easier with the introduction of the safety razor, which was standard issue during the war.

Straight razors were the most common form of shaving before the 20th century and remained common in many countries until the 1950s. Barbers were specially trained to give customers a thorough and quick shave, and a collection of straight razors ready for use was a common sight in most barbershops. Modern-day barbers still keep straight razors, but they use them less often.

These new safety razors did not require any serious tutelage to use. The blades were extremely hard to sharpen, were meant to be thrown away after one use, and rusted quickly if not discarded. They also required a smaller initial investment, though they cost more over time. Despite its long-term advantages, the straight razor lost significant market share. As shaving became less intimidating and men began to shave themselves more, the demand for barbers providing straight razor shaves decreased.