First experience with Derby blades - great

First post on B&B. Been reading the forums for quite some time, what a great resource. It was indispensable for me when first starting out with my Merkur HD.

I find that being that my beard is extremely rough, I tear through blades quickly, so I went looking for an inexpensive solution (I doubt I'll ever be able to use a blade for more than two shaves)

I found a seller on eBay offering 30 Derby blades for less than 10 bucks, so I bit, and I am very happy.

The Derby blades gave me a close and smooth shave, with only one little cut. I found I was able to shave a bit more quickly that I am with my Merkur/Solingen blades; I'm guessing this is because they are either less sharp, less rough, or I am simply getting better at this.

One way or another, the Derby blades are fantastic and a great deal, and I'd recommend them to any wet-shaving noob like myself.

HEy Stinky,

Are you the one selling the Derby blades on Amazon??

Derbys are fine blades.

The two blades I stock up on are Derby Extras and Shark Super Chromes. I like them both.

By the way, which HD do you have? The 38C? I ask because I have a 38C Barber Pole and it seems to work well with Derby blades. You'll see lots of anti-Derby comments herein, but I think there is some relation between the blade and razor that explains some of the variance in blade performance...

I also find that the Derby's blend of sharpness and smoothness work well for me. They are one of the two blades I buy in bulk (along with Iridiums). There used to be a deal on Amazon for 100 Derbys with a stick of Arko for around $12 and I stocked up at that time. I am using the "verticals" now and can't tell the difference from the "horizontals". Blades seem to be the biggest example of YMMV, however.

And to add a bit of balance I hated them much prefer red personnas and wilkinson sword, but that's what makes life interesting. We're all different

Derby's are working just fine in my 38c

I still think Derbys are a good blade.

Post number two
so what do I know ?
I started with the Wilkisons and thought they were ok but harsh .
My razor came with some Derby Extra blades so I thought what the heck I will try them, they were smooth and not harsh , I have since bought them in bulk .

Although Derbys have seen a number of negative posts regarding their quality, I personally found them to be good blades. I tried both the "vertical" and "horizontal" versions of the blade cannot find a significant different between them. However, I number of individuals have reported them to be quite different, with the "vertical" Derbys reputation suffering from poor feedback. Regardless, if you find them to be great blades, by all means continue to use them.

I started using the derby extras just this morning, and I had a fantastic shave.

I have to say that I have never had a problem with Derby blades, they work really well in my SWMBO's EJ DE86, my Muhle R89 and my Superspeed.

Welcome to B&B! Glad the Derby's are working well for you...when you decide to get some more, check around a bit....you s/b able to get 100 for around $12-$15.

During the short period I've been DE shaving, I've always been amazed at how starkly some of these blades - Derby and Feather being the best examples - can divide people.

I haven't found Feathers to be too sharp at all while Derbys gave me a rather rough shave with more tugging and pulling that I cared for.

But this is what makes going through those sampler packs fun - you never know which blade is best for you! I am kinda hoping that Racer will turn out to be my go-to blade - just because of that package design. (http://www.razorslord.com/Packages/R301.asp)

Welcome to B&B, Derby's give me a nice smooth shave also. Plenty of Blades out there to try that's half of the fun of this hobby.

I too have no problem with Derby blades. I get the closet shave with these and the most uses from them. I just purchased the "orange" packs from Amazon (250 for $20) and absolutely love them. I get 3 wonderful shaves from each one, face and head, and can't tell a difference from the 1st shave to the 3rd. I have never tried to get a 4th shave from any blade because of the cheap price of DE blades, but I am contemplating trying it with the Derby's.

Happy happy joy joy.




Somebody had to be first.

Yup, on the Derby love. I can't justify spending more on a blade, so far. They're really cheap, do the job well and their cheap. What's not to love?

The relationship between razor and blade is what I think too. I have never understood how some guys love one brand and others hate it. The real variable has to be the razor.

The Derbys work great with my Muhle R89.

Did you notice the strong smell of the oil when you unwrap a Derby? I recently figured out what that smell reminds me of. It smells EXACTLY like the oil used for lubrication of the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle that my dad had in the war...

I've found these to be OK. They worked for me without being especially wonderful or cheese-grater horrible. And I haven't yet tried them in all my axes; there may be a combination that'll seem made for each other.

After trying blades from seven countries I'm beginning to appreciate each brand as an individual, for its own merits. But there are so many more out there! RBAD still has me in its grip. I haven't yet decided if this is a bad thing ...

I've found these to be solid middle of the road blades. Fairly sharp and fairly smooth. Not bad at all.