Buying DE blades in Italy
- Thread starter Ramsay
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The home of Omega, Fatip?
My usual “go to” city in Italy in the last few years was Bologna, and I found a few shops in the city center that stock DE razor blades, but there is nothing remarkable about razor blades in Italy and even the well known “Bolzano” razor blades, named after a city in Italy’s South Tyrol, are made in Germany.
Supermarkets and drugstore chains mostly carry the usual cartridge razors, (unlike Italian shaving soaps) nothing worth writing home about.
And that brings me to the point: mail delivery to your address in Italy.
Option 1: send yourself a pack of your favorite blades there,
Option 2: go onto the Italian amazon.it website and order some blades to be shipped there. You can log in with the log-in data of your home account and the amount will be charged to that account as well.
Italian postal service does not have a stellar reputation, but I never had serious issues on my trips to Italy. For what it is worth, amazon.it often uses courier companies and my parcels were always waiting in my hotel for me. It helps to advise the hotel though, if you plan on sending some parcel shipments.
And if the blades should not arrive in time?
Make the best of it; get a shave in a barber shop, which is still fairly common in Italy.
Looking around a bit, you will find barbershops were men over 40 are sitting, waiting for a shave.
This is a good sign, as these folks don’t fall for gimmicks and know where to get a good shave without paying an arm and a leg.
Expect a shave with a shavette type razor, costing you (if I remember correctly) somewhere around €12-16.
A nice, pampering experience that you shouldn’t miss...
Hope this helps....
B
Supermarkets and drugstore chains mostly carry the usual cartridge razors, (unlike Italian shaving soaps) nothing worth writing home about.
And that brings me to the point: mail delivery to your address in Italy.
Option 1: send yourself a pack of your favorite blades there,
Option 2: go onto the Italian amazon.it website and order some blades to be shipped there. You can log in with the log-in data of your home account and the amount will be charged to that account as well.
Italian postal service does not have a stellar reputation, but I never had serious issues on my trips to Italy. For what it is worth, amazon.it often uses courier companies and my parcels were always waiting in my hotel for me. It helps to advise the hotel though, if you plan on sending some parcel shipments.
And if the blades should not arrive in time?
Make the best of it; get a shave in a barber shop, which is still fairly common in Italy.
Looking around a bit, you will find barbershops were men over 40 are sitting, waiting for a shave.
This is a good sign, as these folks don’t fall for gimmicks and know where to get a good shave without paying an arm and a leg.
Expect a shave with a shavette type razor, costing you (if I remember correctly) somewhere around €12-16.
A nice, pampering experience that you shouldn’t miss...
Hope this helps....
B
Sadly, you won't find quality blades in supermarkets or local shops. Your only real option will be to find a dedicated wet shaving store or barbershop supplier where you are going. In these you'll also find other wet shaving items usually not available in normal shops.
Great advice!! Especially, the option of using the Italian Amazon.
My approach is to mail some blades to the first hotel and to take a cart in my carry-on as backup.
You will find Wilkinson blades in any supermarket.
Gillette Platinum are fairly common too.
Gillette Platinum are fairly common too.
- Thread starter
- #9
Thanks, Marco. We'll be starting in Milan. At you aware of any wet shaving stores there that may have good blades?
Also, are higher end Italian shave soaps, such as Saponificio Varesino, available at lower process than we typically pay in the US? Grazie mille!
You can try to find blades (but probably only 1 brand), in small shops that sell detergents, soaps, napkins, aftershaves, hand creams and such. There are some chains called "Acqua e Sapone" or "Tigotà", that might have blades. For instance, Tigotà might have Gillette platinum. I have found BIC blades in another small shop of this kind. Another option of last resort, if you don't want to order from Amazon, as suggested, is get into a barber shop and ask the barber for a tuck of blades. Razor blades are called "lamette da barba". Be warned that Barbers usually don't have Gillettes, but rather Derby Extra, Elios, Astra SP and even Treet.
Honestly, I have never been in Milano and really do not have any idea - try a Google research.
Sadly, Italian high end soaps are expensive here, too. But there are some hidden or almost unknown brands that perform great and are reasonably priced. Some names for you are Barberia Bolognini, Barberia Carottese, Furbo and now the new Cella Bio line (just to name a few).
Online search of 'Milan Italy shaving supplies' turned up a couple likely sources, but suspect any large drugstore will have a tuck of blades and Proraso
There is Preattoni in Milan. But going to Preattoni only for a tuck of blades is "overkill"...
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