Need a good compromise between a Feather and a Derby blade.

Feathers and Derbys have been my blades of choice for a little over a year now, but I'm afraid I'm growing more and more dissatisfied with them both. I used to love the two of them, but I have a very sensitive face with thick beard hair and they both have their downfalls when it comes to that combination.

I'm finding the Feathers are too rough to use daily and are very inconsistent. The Derbys are great blades but they're not quite sharp enough and aren't always super smooth, either. I've noticed alot of inconsistency with them, too. Strange how opinions can change with things that used to be favorites; noticing little idiosyncrasies that you just get tired of.

What's a good compromise? I'm looking for something very sharp, yet at the same time butter smooth and for the love of all things good, consistent. I've had to throw out more than several Derbys and Feathers, sometimes in the middle of the first shave. Good longevity would be a plus, too. Swedish Gillettes are wonderful little things, but I can't justify buying them in bulk right now. IPs, maybe? The Crystals too often are said not to be sharp enough so those are out, I think. Any recommendations?

Thanks guys,

Allen
Just rambles on and on and on...

don't take this the wrong way, but could the problem of "bad" derby's be differnt prep. on your part? maybe even someting a small as air humidity could cause a dif. perception.

the reason i say this that a bad blade happens, but serval in one shave?

Doh! I meant to mention in my post that my technique, prep, etc., are just fine.

Green pack 7 O'clocks are awesome!

On the sharper side (ie:more feather like): KAI and Chroma

On the "more derby" side: Crystals/IP (white/blue pack)

I'd say Red Israeli Personnas are very much worth trying. A good combination of sharpness & smoothness at a good price.

Let us know what ends up working for you.

jim

Try the IP's.

I really like the Israeli Crystals and - perhaps even more - Wilkenson Sword White Labels. I've still got a sample of Eau Sauvage to get to you, so I'll toss a pack in. Sharp, but not as sharp as Feathers, but sharper than Derbys for sure, and very consistent.

^^^ ditto on the wilkies, I forgot about those.

Rorschuck said:

I really like the Israeli Crystals and - perhaps even more - Wilkenson Sword White Labels. I've still got a sample of Eau Sauvage to get to you, so I'll toss a pack in. Sharp, but not as sharp as Feathers, but sharper than Derbys for sure, and very consistent.

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Again, your generosity is something to be proud of, brother

Thanks so much again!

Keep the suggestions coming, gentlemen.

I'm sorry but the red pack ip's have not worked for me.even if i cork them they seem to give a rough shave out of all my razors(tech,silver super speed,and Gillette slim adjustable).The derby extras on the other hand seemed to give awesome shaves in the tech and super speed and thats non corked.I'm going to try Swedish Gillette's next and the 7oclocks.

I found myself in the same conundrum, the answer for me was Swedish G's!

scottydoint said:

Green pack 7 O'clocks are awesome!

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+1

Almost as smooth as a Swede but < 1/2 the price.

AaronX said:

+1

Almost as smooth as a Swede but < 1/2 the price.

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I really need to give these a try, even though I just ordered 50 Swede's!

I've made the mistake of staring with Merkur, then moving right to Feathers. It was a clean shave, but a lot of burn on my neck. Now I'm trying to back-peddle and just bought some derby's and swedes.

A couple quick questions for you.

1.) What razor are you using? I've noticed a lot of play in the alignment in my progress.
2.) Have you tried corking the Feathers? It helped me a little.

Dave

I also have fairly tough whiskers and not very tough skin. The IP's are my go-to blade, and they perform similarly for me as the Swedish/English Gillettes do. I can also use Dorco blades, but the IP's seem to be more consistent for me.

I would also suggest that you try the 'Israeli' and 'Red' Personnas. Both are great blades, but the Red is both cheaper and smoother (YMMV).

Haven't seen the Gillette 7o'clock SharpEdge (yellow wrapper) mentioned yet.

Nearly as sharp as a Feather, definitely cheaper (but not as cheap as a Derby), and smooth.

They are available from one vendor that I know of on the Northeast side of the Atlantic, and one on the U.S. side of the Atlantic.

Also consider the Treet Durasharp Classic coated carbon steel blade (Yellow wrapper). It's about as sharp as a Derby, smoother, and costs less. I get 4-5 shaves from one. Also available from the same two sources mentioned above.

Looks like I'm gonna start off with trying the red IPs. Thanks gentlemen

+1 on the white Wilkinson, but I would also suggest the Astra Superior Platinum. My first shave with one was unremarkable, but only because I was still working in my technique. The second blade has been nearly perfect. I'm a newbie, so YMMV and my advice is still free.

I use a Merkur 38C ... right now I'd have to rate the Feather as my favourite, with the Wilkinson and Astra close behind.