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If you find additional information about or photos of Otto Kampfe, please let me know. I can be contacted on the forums listed on the left.

Here is a list of 61 of his patents:

  • US228904 First Kampfe Safety Razor Patent (1880)
  • US344114 Kampfe Lather Catcher (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)
  • US767695 Kampfe Blade Holder (1904)
  • US767696 Stropping Machine (1904)
  • USTM43256 Star Trademark (1904)
  • USTM43257 Star Trademark (1904)
  • USTM43258 Three Star Trademark (1904)
  • US788836 Straight-Style Razor (1905)
  • US793793 Corn Razor (1905)
  • US809114 Razor Strop (1906)
  • US843280 Salt Shaker (1907)
  • US844136 Otto Kampfe's Candle Holder (1907)
  • US846924 Nail Clippers (1907)
  • US847782 Kampfe Hair Trimmer (and Razor) (1907)
  • US888174 Corn Razor (1908)
  • US899407 Otto Kampfe's Pocket Multitool (1908)
  • US899408 Otto Kampfe's Pocket Multitool With Can Opener (1908)
  • US899409 Otto Kampfe's Eyeglasses (1908)
  • US924237 Mouse Trap (1909)
  • US928664 Razor Blade Stropping Device (1909)
  • US943355 Stropping Device for DE blades (1909)
  • US977314 Safety Razor (1910)
  • US978303 Kampfe Razor Blade (1910)
  • US985419 Razor Blade (1911)
  • US1006949 Stropping Device for Thin Blades (1911)
  • US1008719 Kampfe Star Convex (1911)
  • US1033761 Mouse Trap (1912)
  • US1040347 Kampfe Star Convex (1912)
  • US1059333 Kampfe Star Convex (1913)
  • US1391478 The Last Kampfe Razor Patent (1921)
  • US1402513 Cigar Band (1922)

Otto Kampfe

1855—1932

1872 Emigration to the US

Name: Otto Kampfe
Arrival Date: 28 May 1872
Age: 17
Gender: Male
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 Richard.

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

1881 Naturalisation https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTW-94YZ

Date: 6 April 1881
Address: 82 - 10 Street Brooklyn
Occupation: Machinist
Former Nationality: German

1892 New York State Census https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQQC-WW7
  • Otto Kampfe, Age 36, Born in Germany, Engineer
  • Eva Kampfe, Age 31, Born in US
1903 Purchase of three five-story flats

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1903/01/13/105050734.pdf

The Grosvenor Realty Company has sold to Otto Kampfe the two five-story flats 440 and 442 West One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Street on plot 50 by 100.11. Mr Kampfe has also bought from Carrie A. Worth the five-story flat 511 West One Hundred and Forty-fifth Street, 33.4 by 99.11.
1906 Sale of two of the flats bought in 1903

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1906/02/11/101766377.pdf

Issac Hattenbach and F. W. Dennis negotiated the sale of 440 and 442 West 124th Street for Otto Kampfe to Simon Adler.
1910 United States Census https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP19-DBR

Otto Kampfe, Head, Age 54, Married 30 years, Born in Germany, Mfg. Cutlery, Own Account
Anna Eva Kampfe, Age 53, Married 30 years, Born in Germany
Christiana Tressrell, Age 41, Single, Born in New York of German parents, Domestic servant
Josephine Zahn, Age 45, Single, Born in New York of German parents, Domestic servant

1920 United States Census https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJG6-TMM

Address: Hicksville Road, Hempstead Township, Nassau, New York
There is also this road nearby.

Otto Kampfe, Head, Age 64, Widower, Immigrated 1872, Naturalized 1881, Born Saxony, germany. No occupation
Marie Wolf, Age 42, Single, Immigrated 1896, Alien, Born Hesse, Germany. No occupation

Otto now lives with his future wife Marie and claims to be a widower. However, Anna Eva Kampfe is not dead yet.

1920 Death of his wife Anna Eva

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/10/29/102906109.pdf

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVLS-ZTMZ
1930 United States Census https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X78R-VRG

Address: 266, Herkeamer St., Hempstead, Nassau, New York

Otto Kampfe, Head, Age 74, Immigrated 1872, Retired
Marie Kampfe, Wife, Age 53, Immigrated 1896

1932 Death https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVLS-ZTMN
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84181978
1932 New York Times Obituary

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/03/27/100703680.pdf

KAMPFE—Otto, age 76, of North Bellmore, L. I., March 24, at his home. Mr. Kampfe and his brothers were the original inventors of the safety razor, and manufactured the Star Safety Razor at 10 Reed St., New York City, over forty years ago. Mr Kampfe had been a resident of Bellmore for the past twenty years, and his passing leaves his many relatives and friends griefstricken. Service will be held at his home on Little Neck Road near Jerusalem Av., North Bellmore, on Monday at 1 P. M. Interment in the family vault, Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn.