Bolzano Superinox Inossidabile

I had these for a while and finally got around to trying them out. They were terrible. Like the Timors, they pulled on the very first shave. I got lots of nicks. It was not a fun shave. When all was said and done, the result was somewhat smooth an passable but not worth it. Especially for the price.

This is my new weapon of choice, trumping the Feathers I have been using for a while now. I took the plunge and bought 50 from Connaught and so far have not looked back, close and smooth these seem to sit well in my DE86 razor, the sharpness I would put on a par with the Feathers, but without the irritation. Where the Bolzanos really win is longevity, shaving daily I get five good close and smooth shaves from these whereas three shaves with the Feathers was the limit.

So far I've loaded this blade into a Fatboy on 3, 5, and 7 and it prefers a more aggressive razor, so 7 is a good match on the FB. I have yet to load this into my Schick Krona and can't wait. My 10 other razors are waiting their turn, but not quietly!

The shave was utterly perfect. Very forgiving and smooth and I can feel the quality as I shave with it. The end result is always perfection. No weepers or irritation and my skin feels great, just like others have said. I have over 30 different types of great blades and these are in the top 10. The Gillette 7oclock Yellows(I use them the most) also came to mind while I was shaving with this blade(though Bolzanos may not be as sharp, but close), but I think it's not exactly helpful to compare to another blade really because this is its own beast and not alot of people try as many blades as I do. Your razor will likely take part in determining how well the blade performs, so get your RAD on. Also worth noting is that I once used Merkur blades and hated them until years later I tried them again and I'm in love with them in a "girl next door" kind of way, so you may have to wait until experiece comes before you understand these blades, or dare I say use them!?

Most people have given these blades relatively high marks, but I've found them to be harsh and relatively dull, comparable to a Merker blade. Perhaps it's a situation of matching a blade to a razor.

I've used two blades now in my Merkur 33C, each for three shaves. I used my normal prep (shower shave) and used the lightest possible pressure, as I do with all other blades. The Bolzano Superinox blades produced a lot irritation and weepers every time I've used them.

They're relatively expensive, especially given their disappointing performance. I get much better results with Feathers, Shark Super Chromes, Shark Stainless, Derbys, Gillette 7 o'clocks, Gillette Permasharps, Indian Wilkinson Swords...you get the idea.

I like the packaging. It's cardboard, so it can be easily recycled.

You may have much better luck with them, but I definitely will not buy them again.

Another blade I had high hopes for with disappointed results. Price is more expensive than a feather, the blade wasnt sharp as it wasn't cutting my wiskers it was dragging, rough, skipping and tugging all at the same time. It was so bad mid shave I took it out of my EJ89 and put it in a Fatboy dialed up to 7, still didn't do anything for me but give me a nick under my nose, that was the last straw, into the trash it went even though I had a substandard shave, at that point I didn't care anymore. The only positive was that I didn't have any razor burn afterwards (miracle)... I think I will pass on these blades

siouxsie;1544443 said:

Is there a board member source for these or a USA based vendor? The GBP/$ exchange rate is so brutal at the moment.

Cheers
scott

Click to expand...

This is probably your best bet.

http://www.italianbarber.com/p115-100-Bolzano-Superinox-DE-Blades-20-packs-of-5(100-blades).html

Tried a lot of blades the last couple of years. Been looking for something as smooth and comfortable as Astras, but sharper. Not found any yet.

These ain't it either. Pretty much a workaday, middle of the road blade for me. Comfortable, no bitey-ness of irritation, but about as sharp as Personna Reds. So not very sharp.

I'll start by qualifying my comments. I don't have a wide experience of DE blades; I started with a sample pack and quickly came upon Personna Red blades which I found to suit me and which I kept to. This review is therefore based on the Bolzano Superinox qualities on their own merits as opposed to a comparative test.

Price I order almost all my shave gear online, there is very little locally available. The price was acceptable.

Quality The blades seemed to be well made as was the packaging.

Sharpness I was very pleased with the efficient cutting. Shaving WTG, XTG, and finishing with a blade buffing ATG I managed good close shaves.

Longevity I've found the blades will perform well for 7 days, cutting as well on day 7 as on day 1. Frankly I'm not inclined to go beyond 7 days with any blade.

Smoothness of Shave Again another perfect score; each pass was smooth and clean.

Packaging Each blade is double wrapped and the 5 blades come in a card box. Easy to open, if you're better organised than me you can wrap the old blade in it's replacement's wrapping.

I saw these blades on a website that I was ordering from so I bought a few boxes having previously read Marco's review. I'm glad I did so. I'm going to order more and will rotate between the Personnas and Bolzanos.

I probably should add that I used the blades in a Muhle R106 razor and with a variety of creams and soaps.

I tried these in two of my favorite british TTO, the aristocrat JR and the aristocrat #15. The JR is more apt to showing if a blade is not a smooth cutter and for me the bolzano fails there. The #15 will mask some of the roughness as it allows more lather to reach the blade since its an open comb model, I use it to measure the sharpness of a blade. The bolzano is sharp but for me it doesn't stand head and shoulders above gillette bleue NOS, feather, medical personna, etc.

They have nice packaging, price is in the premium arena of blades and they seem to hold the edge they have for a number of shaves. However I require a blade to be smooth and these are anything but that.

I bought a small sample pack and that was enough for me....I will not be adding anymore to my collection. As always, YMMV.

The reviews are right!
Marco is right!

The saying as printed on the wrapper is right, roughly translating to "A gentle and quick shave".

The quickness can be attributed to the sharpness of the blade; and the manner that sharpness and gentleness are coupled is a true work of art. I really would have like to try this blade when it was still being Made in Italy!

I've only used it a few times, so I cannot comment on longevity just yet; but watch for a full review to be posted soon.

The glorious "Lama Bolzano" (= Bolzano blade) has been Italy's most popular and most loved DE razor blade for almost a century. It was advertised since the 1940’s, as you can see in this old picture attached, which belongs to a rare barber’s calendar that dates back to 1949. Until the end of the 1970’s the Lama Bolzano was recognised as the “gold standard” for double edge blades in my country and was considered, by Italian Master Barbers and most experienced wet shavers, as the finest Italian blade ever made and as one of the finest in the World. Also, it was possible to find it everywhere. In the last thirty years, however, it gradually disappeared from the Italian market, being no longer manufactured in Italy. The current Bolzano blade is, in fact, produced in Germany. But not in Solinghen as many may think and not by the same company that produces Merkur blades. This Italian gem is made in the former East Germany, using a plant specifically built under Italian directives. Also, over the years, the Bolzano has been subject to many changes and refinements: the current blade, renamed Superinox Inossidabile, is the most technologically advanced, being made of stainless steel (inossidabile = stainless) with an improved Titanium plating process. This guarantees extra sharpness, extra smoothness and extra durability. In my opinion the Bolzano is close to the Feathers in terms of sharpness, it’s close to the Red pack Israeli Personnas in terms of smoothness and it simply has no competition at all in terms of durability. In other words this DE razor blade is truly outstanding, under every aspect. For its illustrious history, for its superior quality and for its trusted performance, the Bolzano Superinox Inossidabile is surely the Italian blade par excellence.

When I see a new (for me) DE blade, I buy some. Blade AD, I guess. That was my reason for trying this blade.

The first one in a Feather All SS was not pleasant. Tugging/pulling (is that the same thing?) was painful. The second and third shaves with the same blade in the same razor were fair to middling. The second through fourth blades in the same razor (2 shaves each) were okay, but I was about ready to go back to Sharks.

What would a Bolzano do in the Futur, I wondered? DFS x 3.

So, in this 15 (+/-) shave experiment, the Bolzano did better in an aggressive razor (Futur at 3.5) than it did in a less aggressive razor.

I would feel more confidence after a 40 blade experiment (20 Sharks/20 Bolzanos) with SWMBO selecting and inserting the blades in one of three razors (Feather/Futur/HD) without me know what blade I was using. Rating on a 1 to 5 scale, two shaves each blade, 80 days later...

Or, I can go back to Sharks in the Feather.

Tried Bolzano for the first time today. What a fantastic shave. Smooth and very close with no irritation, cuts, or nicks. So far, I would rate this one as one of the best.

Bullgoose is where I got mine, and the service there is top-notch, to boot.

I just finished my third shave with them, this morning. Usually, I retire a blade after 2 shaves, but given the price of these, I figured that I'd see what 3 shaves would bring.

It turned out very well. There was a little more resistance on this third shave, but everything got cut very well, and I'm feeling very smooth today. No nicks or cuts or weepers, and all three shaves were using a fat-handled tech and barbasol, two passes each.

I'm very glad that I bought 100 of these. I can see them as filling in for Astras or Derbys, until I can get more of those. It's a pricey blade, no question, but if I can get three reliable shaves out of them, they're worth keeping around.
-- Chet

You can get these blades at bullgooseshaving.com for a reasonable price.

Too bad. Seems like a good blade, but at the price point....

siouxsie;1544443 said:

Is there a board member source for these or a USA based vendor? The GBP/$ exchange rate is so brutal at the moment.

Cheers
scott

Click to expand...

yup. here: http://shoeboxshaveshop.com/bolzano-superinox-titanium.html

Is there a board member source for these or a USA based vendor? The GBP/$ exchange rate is so brutal at the moment.

Cheers
scott

I've only used these blades twice so far, but have just ordered another 30 and hope I don't fall out of love with them as quickly. These blades are medium-sharp; certainly not as sharp as Feathers, Yellow 7s or Derbys, but they are sharp enough for it not to be an issue and are definitely sharper than No-Name Israelis, Bics or White Wilkies. Thing is though, they have a texture and smoothness beyond the other 9 brands I've tried and my skin feels actively great after shaving when I use these. It just zings with health and wonderfulness (in a way which is unfortunately not duplicated in the mirror). No idea why, but I like it and will update after a few more weeks' use if anything changes.
One thing that cannot be ignored is the huge expense of these blades- 4 times the price of Derbys! I rationalised this by telling myself its only 50p per week, but from a purely value for money p.o.v., these are definitely an indulgence.

I am on my third full shave with one today. I suspect I will get 4 three pass shaves.

Expensive but I have no weepers or cuts like I experience with Feathers. Another comparible blade is the Japanese blade Kai.

I will be traveling to Italy this fall and hope to stock up if the price makes sense.

Great blade overall. I got mine at Shoebox Shaving.

Satch