PORTLAND, Ore., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Zafirro, LLC today announced the launch of the Zafirro Iridium, the world's first razor with sapphire blades.  The Iridium combines Zafirro's patent-pending blade technology with a handle made primarily from iridium, one of the rarest and strongest metals in existence.  

In addition to vastly extended blade life, the solid white sapphire blades offer a number of additional advantages over conventional steel blades.  They are hypoallergenic, impervious to oxidation and corrosion, and very sharp.  The sapphire is sharpened using high-energy, ionized particles to create an edge less than 100 atoms in width, 5000 times smaller than the width of a hair.

Iridium, derived almost exclusively from meteorites, is 10 times more rare than platinum.  It is primarily used by the aerospace industry for components such as rocket engines where durability is critical.  The handle also contains custom-made hexagonal screws precision machined from pure platinum.

"Our goal in founding Zafirro was to take a quantum leap forward in razor technology, to build the sharpest blade ever made and make it last forever," said Zafirro CEO Hayden Hamilton. "To launch our new blades, our aim was to create one of the most impressive consumer products ever made, something that could be equally at home in a Smithsonian technology exhibit or a MOMA design exhibition. We utilized expertise in fields as varied as rocket manufacturing, nanotechnology, and particle physics, to combine some of the rarest, strongest, and most technologically advanced materials in existence."

Due to the limited global supply of iridium and the complexities of manufacturing, the company will only produce 99 of the Iridium line, which will go on sale today for $100,000.  Zafirro intends to launch additional lines of razors based on their sapphire blade technology over the next 12 months.

The blades include a 10 year guarantee and Zafirro will provide complementary servicing and professional cleaning for Iridium customers, as well as resharpening if necessary.

For more information please visit www.zafirro.com.

For Media Inquiries:

Zafirro, LLC
Elise F Burke
PR Director
elise@zafirro.com
(503) 459-7545

SOURCE Zafirro