Design94 Interview
28. October 2026
We originally intended to arrange an in-person interview with Mr. Klein of Design94. However, due to scheduling constraints on our side, we were unable to find a date at short notice and conducted the interview in writing instead.
Many thanks once again to Mr. Klein for answering our questions at such short notice.
We have a thread in the forum where you can ask Thorsten Klein of Design94 further questions. Click here for the AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread.
You founded Design94 in 2021. How did the idea for your company and your safety razors come about?
The story actually begins back in 2018, after a trip to Asia – and initially it had nothing to do with a safety razor. At the time, I asked myself why there was no truly well-thought-out, smart toiletry bag: a bag in which all your grooming products have a clearly organised place and which offers additional features such as a display, music, phone calls and inductive charging for a toothbrush. This led to the MelodyBag, for which I filed a patent application.
After about two years, the prototypes were finished in 2020. At that point, the cost of going into series production was almost €250,000 – a considerable sum for what had started as a private project. I did not want to take on the financial risk of bringing it to market at the time. Not yet, at least.
My enjoyment of product development remained, however. Since 2006, I have been advising clients professionally on product design, manufacturing processes and material properties. Alongside that, I took an interest in high-quality writing instruments, restored piston-filler fountain pens and developed my own models. It was during this period that I also discovered traditional wet shaving.
However, the safety razors I bought kept giving me razor burn and cuts. At some point I asked myself: is it me, is it my skin – or might a different razor suit me better? So I began developing my own razor. Initially, purely for myself.
After roughly 30 to 40 plastic prototypes, experiments on the lathe and the first titanium prototypes made by a supplier I am friends with, I had a razor that convinced me. The razor burn disappeared and I hardly ever cut myself any more. Ten prototypes then went to friends, acquaintances and experienced safety razor users. The feedback was extremely positive. One remark in particular – “Shame you can’t buy it” – gave me the idea of offering it to others as well. That became Design94 in 2021.
What did you want to do differently from existing manufacturers?
My starting point was very personal: I wanted the perfect safety razor for me. It had to be lightweight, made from a high-quality material and have a flawless surface without scratches or visible machining marks. Above all, it had to shave closely while being gentle on the skin. Choosing a suitable material with nickel allergies in mind was also important to me. That is why titanium was my material of choice from the very beginning.
I also wanted to develop a distinctive, consistent design language. To me, a safety razor belonged to a complete set. I therefore carried the fine ribbed texture over to the brush, the stand and the shaving bowl. For the bowl, I deliberately chose a square shape.
The design of the head was more than just a question of appearance. In my shaving tests, I found the ribbed design, combined with the chosen blade geometry, to be particularly pleasant. This interplay of design and function is crucial for me.
Not everyone who is dissatisfied with existing razors goes on to found a company. What motivated you to give it a try anyway – especially during the Covid period?
First of all, it was my own experience and the positive feedback on the prototypes. I had developed something that worked very well for me and evidently brought others joy too.
When the first titanium shaving set was finished, I entered it for the German Design Award. For me personally, this award is as significant as an Oscar in the field of design. I simply wanted to give it a try. When, during the Covid period, I received news that the set had been given a Special Mention, it was a very special confirmation. It encouraged me to take the next step with Design94.
What expertise were you able to contribute? Had you previously worked in a similar field?
I am a trained industrial clerk and learned CAD while studying materials engineering in Dortmund. Professionally, I have been working for many years at the intersection of product design, materials and manufacturing.
In 2014, I bought my first 3D printer; I now own five. Lathes, electroplating and processes such as investment casting, metal injection moulding and the production of turned parts have also interested me and been part of my work for a long time.
This allows me to handle many steps myself, from the initial design and production drawings through to the prototype. This combination of a business background, technical understanding and practical experience has helped me a great deal with Design94.
Your very first product received a Special Mention at the German Design Award 2022. What does this award mean to you?
I was surprised myself – and very happy, proud and grateful. That year, Braun was among the gold winners. Receiving recognition in such company as a small, young company was something special for me.
Good design has fascinated me all my life. That includes the work of Dieter Rams as well as Apple’s design history with Steve Jobs and Jony Ive. Having a jury recognise my own vision of design was therefore a very moving moment on a personal level too.
What were the biggest challenges before and after founding the company?
The biggest challenge was the sheer number of tasks alongside my full-time job. Developing a good product is only part of the work. I had to produce part and assembly drawings, write user manuals, design packaging, select suppliers and calculate prices.
On top of that came the entire online shop, product photography, advertising, search engine optimisation and coordinating the business processes with my tax adviser. My aim was to have everything prepared before officially registering the company.
In the early days, it was largely a one-man show. Accordingly, a lot of the work was done in the evenings and at weekends. The challenge was to bring all these tasks together while maintaining my own standards of quality.
You still run Design94 alongside your main job. How long can you keep doing both, and what is your goal?
Today we are a small family business, and I have support. I have not set a fixed date for a complete switch. My goal is to grow sustainably and to scale the company further once demand supports it.
For me, the focus has always been on supplying high-quality safety razors to people who share my enthusiasm for such products. I was never interested in using the profits to buy a house or an expensive car. To this day, I have reinvested all the profits we have made – in new products, better photos, graphics and the further development of Design94.
How would you describe your company philosophy?
The customer is at the centre of everything we do. We want to make timeless, exceptionally high-quality products that we would be delighted to buy ourselves. Products where you can tell from the first touch how much care has gone into them – and which then also prove themselves in use.
We are aware that our small production runs lead to high prices. We are open about this. That makes it all the more important to us that the entire buying experience lives up to this standard: from the product and its presentation to personal contact.
Our goal is for a customer to say at the end: “That was worth every cent.” We take this standard very seriously.
Can your safety razors only be bought in Germany? How can customers abroad get hold of your products?
No, customers can order directly from our online shop, and we ship almost worldwide – to Greenland as well as to Australia, for example. There are a few exceptions, including certain sanctioned countries.
We also had distribution partnerships with two American wholesalers for quite some time. In our experience, the additional import costs made selling there more difficult in our price segment.
That said, we have never tried to win as many wholesalers as possible. Direct sales have one important advantage for us: we retain personal contact with our customers and can respond to enquiries immediately.
What should a retailer do if they would like to add your product line to their range?
The best thing is to email us directly or use the contact option on our website. We are always pleased to receive enquiries and are happy to get in touch with anyone interested to discuss the possibilities of working together. This also applies to private label.
In which regions is demand highest?
Our strongest market is right on our doorstep: Germany accounts for roughly half of our demand. It is followed by the USA, the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan. As a small company, we are particularly pleased by this international response.
What do your supply chains look like? Is everything produced in Germany, and how important is “Made in Germany” to you?
We work with external manufacturing partners in Germany and, in some cases, elsewhere in Europe. It is important to me to describe this origin transparently.
The supplier for our Life series, for example, is based in Germany and brings extensive experience from manufacturing high-quality piston-filler fountain pens for well-known brands. This fits very well with our standards of precise workmanship and high-quality surfaces.
We carry out assembly, the complete final inspection of the components and packaging ourselves. The head, cap and handle are each inspected individually. We want to ensure that only flawless products are shipped. For me, what matters most besides origin is that we can vouch for the quality of every single razor.
How are your safety razors made? What does the CNC video on your website show, and which surface finishes do you offer?
Our razor components are CNC-machined from solid material. The video on our website shows this precise machining for the Infinity. The parts of the Titanium are likewise made from solid titanium. In total, more than 100 production steps are needed for the finished product.
The individual components are manufactured in several machining steps according to our drawings. We specify tight tolerances so that the geometry and shaving characteristics remain virtually identical from razor to razor.
The surfaces are then mirror-polished in three stages. This applies to the Titanium, Aviation and Life series. This is followed by cleaning, inspection for defects and blasting with ultra-fine glass beads. This creates the uniform surface our customers see on the finished product.
Among other options, we offer the Titanium in its natural grey tone. Its surface may still change slightly over time due to further natural oxidation. There are also PVD-coated variants as well as the Black Beach with a DLC coating. DLC stands for “Diamond-Like Carbon”. We also use PVD and DLC coatings on the stainless steel razors of the Life series.
The Aviation series is colour-anodised and then passivated. On occasion, we have also produced custom titanium special editions for customers by anodising them in our own workshop.
If you had to explain to a customer in two sentences why they should buy a Design94 razor, what would you say?
At Design94, we combine an original design with carefully developed shaving geometry, high-quality materials and a complete inspection of every single razor. Anyone who places great value on precise workmanship, carefully finished surfaces and personal contact with the manufacturer will find our particular standards reflected in it.
Competition from China is growing. How do you deal with that?
One should not close oneself off to China. I travelled the country over many years and closely followed the development of various markets. In doing so, I encountered very different levels of quality.
There are simply made safety razors for the low-price segment. At the same time, there are excellent manufacturers in China who deliver very high quality, refine existing designs further and make products that I would happily put in my own bathroom.
This achievement deserves respect. For Design94, it means following developments closely and consistently pursuing our own standards. A product’s quality should be judged by the product itself.
In your view, what are the biggest challenges facing the wet shaving industry over the next five to ten years?
I see international trade as a key challenge. In my view, global developments are making cross-border sales increasingly difficult. Additional import costs can make high-quality safety razors considerably more expensive for customers.
This works in both directions: German customers already pay a lot for American razors, and American customers have to factor in additional import costs when buying European products. For small manufacturers with comparatively low production volumes, this makes it more difficult to offer attractive retail prices internationally.
What are your plans for the future of Design94?
I would like to further develop our shaving range: with new sets, new safety razors and perhaps even an entirely new type of safety razor. At the same time, I want to preserve the origins of Design94 – the joy of designing beautiful and functional products.
That is why I can well imagine offering other beauty products in future, including products for women that have nothing to do with shaving. We love giving shape to beautiful things. This idea will also shape our future developments.
What is your favourite razor to shave with?
I actually have two favourite razors. The first is the Titanium in natural grey with a long handle. For me, it is perfectly balanced and delivers the best shaving results. The long handle also makes it very comfortable for body shaving.
My second favourite is a one-off piece that I made for myself. It combines the black components of our Life series with a wooden handle. The wood comes from part of my mother’s grave cross. This gives the razor a very special emotional value for me: it is a personal keepsake that accompanies me in everyday life and quietly preserves the connection to my mother.
Thank you very much for answering our questions. The floor is now open for questions from our members.
We have a thread in the forum where you can ask Thorsten Klein of Design94 further questions. Click here for the AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread.
Last edited: