This is a work in progress! Move the mouse over an image to enlarge it, click on images once or twice to see them at higher resolutions. If you find additional information about or photos of Richard Kampfe, please let me know. I can be contacted on the forums listed on the left. Here is a list of 35 of his patents: US341420 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1886) US344115 — Kampfe Razor with built-in mirror (1886) US354196 — Kampfe Folding Razor (1886) US358978 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1887) US385462 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1888) US387359 — Kampfe Lather Catcher (1888) US405961 — First Kampfe Stropper Patent (1889) US414547 — Brace for stropping Razors (1889) USD23699 — Kampfe design for razor handle (1894) USD24093 — Razor Blade Holder (1895) US540319 — Razor Blade Carrier (1895) GB189521368 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1895) US554823 — Kampfe Lather Catcher (1896) USD27032 — Kampfe Safety Razor Casing (1897) US637511 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1899) US637512 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1899) US638126 — Box for Safety Razors (1899) US656818 — Stropping Machine (1900) US658649 — Stropping Machine (1900) US658650 — Stropping Machine (1900) US660640 — Kampfe Honing Device (1900) US668752 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1901) US672983 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1901) US672984 — Kampfe 'New Model' (1901) US686972 — Stropping Device (1901) US694650 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1902) US712384 — Stropping Machine (1902) US712385 — Kampfe Stropper (1902) US725449 — Razor Stropping Device (1903) US733399 — Kampfe Safety-Razor (1903) US733400 — Kampfe Safety Razor (1903) USRE12164 — Stropping Machine (Reissue) (1903) USTM43256 — Star Trademark (1904) USTM43257 — Star Trademark (1904) USTM43258 — Three Star Trademark (1904) (Paul) Richard Kampfe August 22, 1853 — April 21, 1906 Photo at https://www.geni.com/people/Paul-Richard-Kampfe/6000000002424075240: 1872 Emigration to the US Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Arrival Date: 28 May 1872 Age: 19 Gender: Male Profession: Locksmith Ethnicity/ Nationality: German Place of Origin: Germany Class: Steerage & Deckhouse Port of Departure: Bremen, Germany Destination: United States of America Port of Arrival: New York, New York Ship Name: Hannover Also on board: his brother Otto. 1880 United States Census This might be the three brothers in New York. The ages are spot on. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ85-BMX Address: 177 South 8th Street, Brooklyn, Kings, New York William F. Kampfe, Brother, Age 30, Machinist, Born in Saxony Paul R. Kampfe, Brother, Age 27, Machinist, Born in Saxony Carl. C. O. Kampfe, Brother, Age 25, Machinist, Born in Saxony 1883 Naturalisation The date on the document (1833) is obviously wrong. The 1903 passport application confirms this as May 29, 1883. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTW-94YK Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Address: 166 Suydam St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Occupation: Machinist Former Nationality: German Date of Arrival: 28 May 1872 1884 Marriage https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=9105&h=158148 Name: Paul R Kumpfe Gender: Male Marriage Date: 27 Jan 1884 Marriage Place: Kings, New York, USA Spouse: Katharia Radler Certificate Number: 227 1884 Birth of son Fred William Richard https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WQN-Z2Y Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Sex: Male Wife: Katharina Badler Son: Fred Wiliam Richard Kampfe Event Type: Birth Event Date: 11 Dec 1884 Event Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States Gender: Male Father's Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Mother's Name: Katharina Badler 1886/1887 Birth and death of son Rudie https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118579972/rudie-kampfe His son Rudie (August 6, 1886—July 14, 1887) died aged 11 months. 1888 Birth of son Paul Richard https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WZF-NWL Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Age: 36 Birthplace: Garmania Sex: Male Wife: Kaity Radler Kampfe Son: Paul Richard Kampfe Event Type: Birth Event Date: 26 May 1888 Event Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States Gender: Male Race: White Father's Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Father's Birthplace: Garmania Father's Age: 36 Mother's Name: Kaity Radler Kampfe Mother's Birthplace: Brooklyn Mother's Age: 28 1889 Birth of daughter Juliane Margarethe https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WQT-QLD Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Sex: Male Wife: Catherine Radler Kampfe Daughter: Juliane Margarethe Kampfe Event Type: Birth Event Date: 07 Dec 1889 Event Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States Gender: Female Father's Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Mother's Name: Catherine Radler Kampfe 1891 Birth of daughter Clara Marie https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W79-ZVJ Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Sex: Male Wife: Catharina Radler Kampfe Daughter: Clara Marie Kampfe Event Type: Birth Event Date: 05 Oct 1891 Event Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States Gender: Female Father's Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Mother's Name: Catharina Radler Kampfe 1892 New York Census https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQQC-356 Address: Brooklyn Paul R. Kampfe, Age 39, Born in Germany, Citizen, Safety Razor Catharine Kampfe, Age 31, Born in United States, Citizen William Kampfe, Age 8 Richard Kampfe, Age 4 Margaretta Kampfe, Age 3 Clara Kampfe, Age 1 Annie Dubler, Age 16, Born in Germany, Alien, Servant 1893 Birth of daughter Cora Ethel https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W7W-698 Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Age: 40 Birthplace: Germany Sex: Male Wife: Catharina Radler Kampfe Daughter: Cora Ethel Kampfe Event Type: Birth Event Date: 01 Jun 1893 Event Place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States Gender: Female Race: White Father's Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Father's Birthplace: Germany Father's Age: 40 Mother's Name: Catharina Radler Kampfe Mother's Birthplace: Newtown, L. I. Mother's Age: 32 1903 Passport Application https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJP-C33Z Appication dated March 11, 1903 Born at Witschdorf, Saxony, Germany, 22 August 1853 Saling on board Hanover from Bremen on 14 May 1872 Naturalized 29 May 1883 Address: 184 Euclid Av. Brooklyn Manufacturer 1903 Vacation Times Union, Brooklyn, May 13, 1903, Page 12 HIS FIRST VACATION East New York’s Largest Land Owner Sails for Germany With His Family. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kampfe, of Euclid avenue. East New York, with their five children. William, Richard, Margaret, Cora and Clara, sailed yesterday afternoon on board the steamer Kronprinz Wilhelm for an extended tour of Germany. The trip will embrace visits to London, Paris, Berlin, Cologne. Heidelberg, Nuremberg and other prominent cities and a lengthy stop at Dresden, Mr. Kampfe’s birthplace, where his parents still reside. Mr. Kampfe is one of the inventors of the original safety razor and with his two brothers is the owner of acres of Twenty-sixth Ward property. When a mere boy the voyager with his brothers came to this country. He said yesterday that whatever of success in life he had met with had been the result of persistent hard work. The present trip is the first vacation Mr. Kampfe has taken in thirty years. He said he believed a trip through America would be productive of more pleasure and profit, but the desire to visit his old home and see his parents fixed upon Germany as the scene of his first relaxation from business. The Kampfes will return in time for the opening of the fall school term. 1903 Arrival of niece Johanna Konigsdorfer https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGG7-59DV Arrival on September 1, 1903 on board the “Kronprinz Wilhelm” from Bremen. Her uncle Richard is given as the arrival contact. She still lives with Richard's widow in 1910 1906 Death https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKG-8DDB https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46526188 From his death certificate https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61778&h=1449292 Name: Paul R Kampfe Gender: Male Race: White Marital status: Married Age: 52 Birth Date: abt 1854 Birth Place: Germany Years in US: 33 Years Death Date: 21 Apr 1906 Death Street Address: 184 Euclid Ave Death Place: New York City, Brooklyn, New York, USA Cause of Death: Fatty Heart and Chronic Endocarditis Burial Date: 20 Apr 1906 Burial Place: Lutheran Occupation: Manufacturer Father's Birth Place: Germany Mother's Birth Place: Germany Father: Frederick W Kampfe Mother: Julianna MA Kampfe Certificate Number: 8342 His burial record from the Dutch Reformed Church: https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=6961&h=2736403 Name: Paul Richard Kampfe Event Type: Death Death Date: 21 Apr 1906 Death Place: Brooklyn, New York, USA Burial Date: 25 Apr 1906 Church: Emmanuel Church, Brooklyn 1906 Obituaries The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 23, 1906, Page 13 Brooklyn Times Union, April 23, 1906, Page 2 The Brooklyn Citizen, Aril 23, 1906, Page 3 The Chat, Brooklyn, April 28, 1906, Page 2 The last three obituaries seem to be by the same author. Here is a combined version of what they say: Obituary Paul Richard Kampfe. On Saturday there passed away at his residence on Euclid Ave., between Ridgewood Ave. and Fulton St., Paul Richard Kampfe, one of three brothers of that name who for many years have been leading residents of Cypress Hills. He was a member of the manufacturing firm of Kampfe Brothers, of Reade St., Manhattan, and known throughout the world as one of the inventors of the safety razor. This piece of mechanism has been carried to every quarter of the globe and the makers of it have since its introduction in 1880 made a large fortune from its sale. Mr. Kampfe's death was caused by an ailment of the heart, for which he had been under the care of a specialist, Professor Jacobi of Manhattan, for many months. The end came about 3 o’clock while he was surrounded by the members of his family. The funeral services were held Tuesday evening at the family residence, and the interment was made in Lutheran Cemetery in the family plot. The deceased who was born at Witchdorf, Germany, August 22, 1853 was the son of Fredrick William and Juilauna M. Kampfe, well-known residents there. His father is still living at Dresden. When he was a youth the deceased was apprenticed to a baker and in the custom of those days was made to labor incessantly for twenty hours out of the twenty-four and he was of the opinion that he then contracted the beginning of the cardiac ailment which attacked him in later years. Coming to New York about 35 years ago with his brothers, the deceased learned the machinist’s trade, and being very thrifty, soon opened a small business on his own account on Centre St. with Frederick and Otto Kampfe. In combination they worked out the safety razor and branched out into a large concern. Mr. Kampfe was a man of quiet habits and domestic taste and his whole interest was bound up in his family. He worked steadily until three years ago, when he took his first vacation and took a trip to Europe to visit the place of his birth in company of his wife and children. For some years he had been in the habit of spending the summer months on his country place at Butler, N. J., in the mountains, where he had a large private lake. His only hobby was photography of which he was very fond and at which he was skillful and artistic. The love he had for nature was shown in the beautiful grounds surrounding his home, which was something in the nature of a feature of the upper Twenty-sixth Ward. He and his brothers were far-sighted with respect to the future of East New York and he was the holder of many parcels of real estate bought many years ago. He had lived in Cypress Hills for about twenty years and was highly respected by all who knew him. He was a Republican and acted with his party in local affairs, but took no prominent interest. There survive Mr. Kampfe, his widow who was Cathrina Radler, and whom he married Jan. 26, twenty-two years ago; his two sons, William and Richard, and three daughters, Margaretha, Clara and Cora. 1906 Probate https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7LP-PZN 1910 United States Census https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP1M-GNX The Kampfe household after Richard's death Address: 184 Euclid Avenue, Kings County, New York Catharine Kampfe, Head, Age 49, Widow, 6 children, 5 alive, Born in New York of German parents William F. Kampfe, Son, Age 25, Single, Born in New York, Book-keeper Razor Mfg. Richard P. Kampfe, Son, Age 21, Single, Born in New York, Book-keeper Razor Mfg. Margaret J. Kampfe, Daughter, Age 20, Born in New York, No occupation Clara M. Kampfe, Daughter, Age 18, Born in New York, No occupation Cora C. Kampfe, Daughter, Age 16, Born in New York, No occupation Margaret Radler, Mother, Age 76, Widow, 4 children, 3 alive, Born in Germany, No occupation Johanna Koenigsdoerffer, Niece, Age 23, Single, Born in Germany, No occupation 1920 His sons move to New Jersey https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/05/09/113308734.pdf William Kampfe of Brooklyn, purchased the W. F. Presgrave house on Morris Avenue, Morristown, from Rev. John Parmly, who purchased the property two weeks ago from Mrs. Presgrave. Richard Kampfe, his brother, also has purchased the English brick house in the same block. Both houses were built by the Georgian Gardens Estates. Harvey J. Genung and Arthur C. Day negotiated the various deals. 1931 Death of his son Paul Richard https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1931/09/19/118425530.pdf Paul Richards Kampfe of 43 Morris Avenue, Morristown, N. J., vice president of the Treet Safety Razor Corporation of Newark, died suddenly on Thursday in his automobile of heart disease, while on route to visit a sister in Syracuse, N. Y. Mr Kampfe was 43 years old. Besides his widow, he is survived by two children, his mother, a brother and three sisters. 1943 Death of his wife Catharina https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1943/06/13/88542884.pdf KAMPFE—At Morristown, N. J., on June 11, 1943, Catharina R., in her eighty-third year; wife of the late Richard Kampfe, mother of William Kampfe and the late Paul R. Kampfe of Morristown, N. J; Mrs Margaret Groschopp, Butler, N. J.; Mrs. Clara White, Bloomingdale, N. J.; Mrs Cora Dickinson, Syracuse, N. Y. Funeral services at home of her son, 49 Morris Ave., Morristown, on Monday evening, June 14, at 8 o'clock. Interment Lutheran Cemetery, Brooklyn, N. Y., on Tuesday morningat 11 o'clock.
