Cork your Vertical Derbys!!!

Hello again Everyone,

I made a post about my misfortune of buying 500 Derby blades and having them be the vertical writing which are inferior to the horizontal writing Derbys. Just when I thought all was lost and I would be stuck with 500 garbage blades, Michiganlover suggested I cork them. So I put a new Derby in my razor and of course it was a dud. I took it out, ran it lightly through some hard styrofoam I had from my recent tv purchase and BAM! Hello Ms. Derby you sexy blade you. This was such a smooth and tug free shave; even better than horizontal Derbys. Now I can actually use and enjoy these blades that I paid for. Some of you may say "well why go through all that when there are better blades out there?". My answer is: I bought 500 of the things and dammit I want to use them! Those of you who are in this Derby boat with me should take Michiganlover's advice and cork these Derby's, you will not be disappointed. Thank you everyone for your sympathy and advice in dealing with this vertical Derby disease. Thankfully, there is a cure.
If you don't know what corking is B&B has got you covered. Here is the link:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20396&highlight=corking

Haha that's very interesting, and I'm glad you can make use of you 500 blades I think I have a pack of 10 vertical derbys; I might just try this technique on them

I have some too...thanks for the advice!!

Alright...well...fill the newb in here...whats corking?

I sent mine packing, but I did keep a few and in time I will try to cork them. I think this speaks more to the sometimes benefits of corking than to the salvation of the Derbys as a future blade. Wish you the best with your 500. We might need to start a chain letter for you sending you cork and styrofoam, sounds like you are going to need a lot.

I am all for saving money, but Derby shouldn't have fired the quality control department.

dfresh, you take the blade and gently run the edge through cork or styrofoam. KWyKJJ gave us a link: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20396&highlight=corking

best and health,
mrscottishman

I believe its running the edge of the blade on a cork or similar material. Some have said that it cleans off the edge, some have said it smooths out a too-sharp blade.

Not a DE user, but I've heard this term before.

Cheech said:

I believe its running the edge of the blade on a cork or similar material. Some have said that it cleans off the edge, some have said it smooths out a too-sharp blade.

Click to expand...

Correct, the idea is to remove microscopic imperfections from the blade, such as tiny burrs.

For many people, the first shave with a new blade is the roughest, and then the blade is a lot smoother on the follow up shaves.

Corking the blade makes the blade perform like it was at shave two on the first usage.

I myself have about 100 of the vertical Derby's that Derby International sent me, when I won a contest in the Carnival of Smiles.

I have yet to try them out though.

I haven't had a problem with my vertical Derbys. Maybe it's because I palm-strop every blade (10x a side) before its first use and then after each shave. I don't use Derbys much anymore, but I still have about 40 left.

I have 100 of the Derby Extra "vertical" blades that a bought from a fellow B&B member. I was nervous when I saw this thread so I shaved with one this morning without stropping. I didn't have any problems but I will keep this in mind for the 99 blades that are remaining.

I aslo strop my verticle blades before and during use. Maybe not all the verticle blades are suspect?
Ian

I just read about this issue last night, 6 days after ordering 100 Derby blades. Eager and a little apprehensive to give them a try...

Maybe I'll cork mine tonight! I shaved once with a Derby and thought it was horrible, and it was infact vertical.