If you are thinking of shaving with a Bolzano blade....

[Iloverootbeer]

Don’t. Just don’t.

I was looking forward to my afternoon shave after a rough morning. So I loaded up the old ball-end Tech with a Bolzano Superinox blade (included in a sample pack of blades) whipped up some TOBS Grapefruit and went at it. Big mistake. The first WTG pass sucked. Lots of tugging and pulling. The blade felt very dull. But, I decided to give it a fair chance and continue on with the XTG and ATG passes. These passes went from bad, to absolute ****. Now my neck looks like raw hamburger meat. Weepers all over, irritation and razor burn. Now in all fairness, I have only been DE shaving for about 2-3 months, but rarely do I get even one weeper or irritation with other blades (I’ve tried about 15 different kinds thus far.) I also achieve BBS almost every shave without much effort. All I’m gonna say is this: if you decide to use one of these blades, be prepared for some hurt!

 

[pdieten]

I'm given to understand that Bolzanos are made by the same people who make Elios and Croma, and those are the same people who make Harry's cartridges.

You aren't the first to complain about the comfort of the products out of that factory and I doubt you'll be the last. Some people say they get good shaves with them, but I'll be damned if I know how. I've never used a Bolzano but my experiences with Cromas were enough to make me swear them off forever.

 

[ackvil]

I haven't used Bolzano blades in a few years. However, they used to be decent. I just thought they were expen$ive.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

More evidence that blades are the most subjective element in shaving. I had a Bolzano in a sampler pack and got over a dozen close, comfortable shaves. Wish I had another.

 

[Iloverootbeer]

Yeah, I’ve come to learn that blades are the most YMMV aspect of shaving, but this was a different beast altogether. Normally I’d just toss ‘em and move on but I thought in this case it was worth a PSA. Especially XTG and ATG. Just be careful!

 

[fast shaver]

You might have got some very old stock sitting in a damp warehouse somewhere. Croma should be renamed crud as everyone I have come across is pure crud.

 

[Iloverootbeer]

You might have got some very old stock sitting in a damp warehouse somewhere.

In all fairness, yes, that is certainly a possibility.

 

[ajkel64]

I’ve used Bolzano blades and the ones that I have used have been fine. Like ALL blades we like what we like and hate what we hate. I like them you don’t. I don’t have a drama with that. I respect your opinion.

 

[BigJ]

Interesting thread!! YMMV for sure.

That said, I tried Balzanos some time ago and decided they were OK, but not worth a premium price. Looks like QC may have deteriorated since then.

 

[Space_Cadet]

Yes, exactly, they are OK, but not worth a premium price. In this case I suspect you got a bad blade.

 

[Iloverootbeer]

Well at least I have a 5 pack of shims now

 

[mata_66]

Quite some rough blades in my book.

These were the original Italian blades:

Ready to be dispatched in the '50s

A TV Ad from the '60s

With the introduction of disposable razors, the production of DE blades was no longer rentable enough for a small yet historical Italian factory and the brand was sold to the German firm Holznecht in 1989. Since 2014 Bolzano is property of Feintechnik GmbH (Harry's). I might assume post-2014 are different (and slightly worse) blades.

 

[Bakker1964]

I was purchasing some blades to test drive last night and kept hovering over the Bolzanos . . . but something in my head was niggling my brain and I passed over them. Now I know why . . .

 

[shoshani]

I can only use Bolzanos in open comb razors. They flat out do not work for me in razors with a guard bar. No idea why. But in an OC, for me they *do* work, and I can get 2-3 shaves out of them. (Elios, however, from the same factory? I looked and felt like the wrong end of an abbatoir. Swore off those forever.)

 

[Space_Cadet]

 

[Dalejr]

Been 8 years since I used a Bolzano, it was not even 2 strokes and I pulled it. Worst blade I ever used to date and I've tried tons over the years. It was like shaving with an old carbon blade.

 

[Iloverootbeer]

Thanks for the info. It seems weird that they are (were) an Italian brand..don’t most Italians have very dense beard growth? Those guys must have had a helluva time trying to shave with those.

 

[Iloverootbeer]

Been 8 years since I used a Bolzano, it was not even 2 strokes and I pulled it. Worst blade I ever used to date and I've tried tons over the years. It was like shaving with an old carbon blade.

Well I’m glad I’m not the only one!

 

[guitarslinger]

Bolzano is like every German blade on my face. Terrible.

Too bad they aren't actually Italian. It would at least have THAT going for it.

 

[lancre]

More evidence that blades are the most subjective element in shaving. I had a Bolzano in a sampler pack and got over a dozen close, comfortable shaves. Wish I had another.

My experience mirrors yours on the Bolzano and Croma blades, 4-6 low irritation DFS shaves each. Deifinitely a YMMV thing.