The 5-blade razor was made by a rocket scientist

Picture this: You're a rocket scientist who develops machine-vision software for missiles. One day you're flipping through your favourite scientific paper, The New Scientist, and you come across a "help wanted" ad from Gillette, calling for an innovative scientist. What could Gillette possibly want with a scientist?

Kevin Powell was more than just curious. Twelve years ago he was a rocket scientist in the defence industry working on...top-secret stuff, we assume. Now he is the laboratory director of the Gillette Technology Centre Reading in the United Kingdom; he oversees the global research and development of blades and razors.

Rocket scientist to razor expert? "[Working for Gillette] sounded strangely far more interesting than developing machine vision, because you are actually seeing something that is going to benefit consumers," says Powell. "It's an exciting and motivating experience. What better reward can there be than to see the fruits of your labour, your research, end up being something that people really like?" (We guess the mad-about-missiles set aren't terribly forthcoming with their praise.)

And ladies, if you've ever wondered what guys talk about, it's shaving. "Guys love to talk about their shaving experience," says Powell, who has discussed razors with thousands of men. "They never run out of things to say, and they love shaving tips."

We met Powell in Toronto where he was speaking about his latest Top Secret project, the Gillette Fusion Power Phantom ($16.99 at mass retailers). The new razor features five blades as well as a precision trimmer blade on the back of the cartridge to get to hard-to-reach areas such as the hair under the nose.

"Obviously you have the five blades, but it's not about the number of blades per se; it's about creating a surface," says Powell. "That's the innovation." Positioned closer together than in standard razors, the Fusion blades are designed to glide across the skin for a significantly closer, yet more comfortable shave than ever. "Guys are really sensitive to changes in blade design," explains Powell. "What matters most to them is that they get fewer nicks and cuts, and less irritation. We tried these razors on large numbers of people. With a preference of two to one on closeness, comfort and safety, the Fusion blade beats what was the best on the market pre-Fusion."

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