...my bluebirds don't have a spent blade slot, my Derby's do. The plastic on the bluebrids is also less elastic and more opaque.
jussayin'
jussayin'
Bluebird Hi-Stainless-Platinum DE Blades
- Thread starter Seamaster
- Start date
S
siouxsie
On my Derbys and on my Bluebirds the used blade slot is in the same place, on the inside under the new blade slot, and not visible from the outside unless you open the side door....
Just like this:
Where is the used blade spot on your derbys? beaker in an earlier post said these were made by Derby for the United Arab Emirates market...seems plausible, as there is Arabic writing on the carton packs of 100. Perhaps he could chime in.
I don't have a camera, perhaps someone else could post a picture of the pack like this pack of Derbys.
Regards,
They look the same...sorry for the Spiderman band-aid.
1) the band-aid is awesome
2) i havent opened the pack. I did catch that post, but they're are slight differences. My order didn't have a carton (keep shipping costs down) so i can't comment.
There was also speculation they were american made.
The origin is clouded, but nonetheless i hope you like the blades guys, i've yet to find a better blade razor combo than one of these in a ball end tech. YMMV, but i don't thin by much, they've been getting fairly good feedback.
2) i havent opened the pack. I did catch that post, but they're are slight differences. My order didn't have a carton (keep shipping costs down) so i can't comment.
There was also speculation they were american made.
The origin is clouded, but nonetheless i hope you like the blades guys, i've yet to find a better blade razor combo than one of these in a ball end tech. YMMV, but i don't thin by much, they've been getting fairly good feedback.
R
rainman
I'd also like to support the fact that I do not believe these to be Derby's. Maybe manufactured in the same plant. Of that I cannot be certain. I do fine them to be sharper and smoother than Derby's. My advice if your looking for another blade is to try them. They can be bought in smaller lots so you don't need to get 100 to try them out.
I haven't rated longevity because I have only had one shave so far from this blade.
What I can confidently say, is that this is a very smooth shaving blade, glides easily, slices smoothly and gives a superior shave.
Now - where to get them....?
I am meant to be in Dubai later in the year, so I may have to buy a few hundred blades whilst there!
What I can confidently say, is that this is a very smooth shaving blade, glides easily, slices smoothly and gives a superior shave.
Now - where to get them....?
I am meant to be in Dubai later in the year, so I may have to buy a few hundred blades whilst there!
Here I found a hint where they are made:
http://bestgroomingtools.com/bluebird-double-edge-razor-blades-five-pack-p-1223.html
They say
"Bluebird Double Edge Razor Blades are a brand from the United Arab Emirates and are marked Made in Europe. Stainless steel coated with five different coatings for smooth shaving."
on this page.
Here they say that they are from the United Arab Emirates:
http://bestgroomingtools.com/bluebird-double-edge-razor-blades-five-pack-p-1223.html
Maybe it's psychological?
I have only tried the BlueBirds (thakns ntguy!), not the Derbys, but the BBs were good enough for only one or two shaves from it. I tore myself up on one and had to go a week of gentle shaves to heal. Of course, it might have been a bad lather day. I will revisit them and some day I'll get some Derbys to compare.
I'm not so sure.
I'm really liking the Shark blades by LORD, and I have no way of knowing if they are just a rebrand of another blade in the LORD line.
The Bluebirds may well be rebranded Derby.
The bottom line is, if they shave great for you, then that's what counts, even if the difference is in our heads.
I'm really liking the Shark blades by LORD, and I have no way of knowing if they are just a rebrand of another blade in the LORD line.
The Bluebirds may well be rebranded Derby.
The bottom line is, if they shave great for you, then that's what counts, even if the difference is in our heads.
could somebody compare the Bluebird with an Astra Blade ?
Melyus is the source of the information I used in my earlier post. As he is Turkish, and can speak to someone at the Derby plant, I for one trust his information. If Derby are telling Melyus that they produce Bluebirds, I guess that we should all take that as a fact.
The "Of European origin" still holds a truth - Derby use Swedish steel for their blades. As for the plating, Bluebird are sub-contracting the manufacture of the blades from Derby - they could be specifying a different coating to "regular" Derby blades, which would account for peoples observations that they do not feel like a Derby. Although I cannot tell the difference, feelwise, I get three shaves from a Bluebird, and only two from a Derby, so the coating could account for this.
As far as the packaging is concerned, that really is a red herring. Again Bluebird are probably just teling Derby to use plastic containers from a different supplier, maybe as a way of shaving pennies off the cost, or they may be packaging them themselves.
The "Of European origin" still holds a truth - Derby use Swedish steel for their blades. As for the plating, Bluebird are sub-contracting the manufacture of the blades from Derby - they could be specifying a different coating to "regular" Derby blades, which would account for peoples observations that they do not feel like a Derby. Although I cannot tell the difference, feelwise, I get three shaves from a Bluebird, and only two from a Derby, so the coating could account for this.
As far as the packaging is concerned, that really is a red herring. Again Bluebird are probably just teling Derby to use plastic containers from a different supplier, maybe as a way of shaving pennies off the cost, or they may be packaging them themselves.
S
siouxsie
With all due respect to the reviewer, these are not the same as Derby's and do not have the same characteristics.
I've used these side by side and they are better performers than Derbys. Sharper, and except for the first shave, smoother. Longevity is about the same. They may be made by the same company as Derbys, but they are NOT the same blades.
I've used these side by side and they are better performers than Derbys. Sharper, and except for the first shave, smoother. Longevity is about the same. They may be made by the same company as Derbys, but they are NOT the same blades.
+2
+1 Technically yes, they are different.
I am not sure how many members actually worked in a factory on an assembly line here. I worked at Ford for 15 years both on the line and as a Team Leader before I left for the Federal Gov't.
The first vehicles we built on were Mercury Villagers and Nissan Quests. Both vehicles come down the same line. There are DIFFERENCES but it was generally front & rear lights, Front Grill, name tags (badges) options and some moldings.
Very few differences in all but yes technically different.
This is the funny part, consumers at that time rated the Nissan Quest higher than the Mercury Villager. Why? Perception. Most people thought that the Quest at that time was built in Japan and a better vehicle. Truth is it was built in Ohio and was the SAME vehicle as the Villager, the only differences being badging and options.
MY POINT is that if razor blades are made by the same company it could be as some stated, just mental perception. However, because lots of steel can be different plus the fact the Blue Birds and Derby, Sharks and Lord may have different coating requirements there MAY be a variance between the two blades made even in the same plant.
Lastly, the only true way to know if there are any differences are:
1. Are they made from the same batch of steel?
2. Do they have the same blade sharpness requirements?
3. Are all the machines & processes are the same that make both blades?
4. Is the only differences packaging and labeling?
With that, I love Sharks and Blue Bird blades. I have never tried Lord, so I do not know about them. I know they are fairly inexpensive.
As far as Derby goes, I have had good and bad, just never great. If it is mental so be it. If there are differences fine, who cares.
I have been trying so many different blades lately, I find the only ones that I went back to that were still not for me were the Wal-Mart/Walgreen/CVS badged blades.
Someone mentioned to me that I should wipe the blades down with cork before using them, I guess like a strop. That may be the only way I ever use those again.
My 2 cents,
John
I must admit that I'm new to DE shaving, but thus far, I've found the Bluebirds to be among the best. It's the only blade I've used thus far that can go ATG with 0 irritation. With all due respect, they are NOT the same blade as a Derby. Derby's, for me, are mediocre - decent, but prone to give to me nicks and pulls the hair. These, however, feel much sharper. They may well dismount Astras as my favorite (we'll see about longevity).
I have a few of these to try. Of my current blades, they seem similar to the Gillette "Sharpedge" yellows. Definitely sharp, but perhaps not as smooth as some of my favorites, Super Iridium or Astra SP.
I find Blue Birds to shave extremely similarly to the Astra Super Stainless. In fact I would not notice any difference if either was popped into my HD. the Astra Super Platinums I find a little sharper than the other two (and more likely to trouble my neck). if you like the Super Stainless, you'll dig the Blue Birds
I can verify Blue Birds are made by Derby. It has been confirmed directly with the company Azmusebat, the makers of Derby blades. There should be little doubt about this and hopefully the info below may help further establish this. As has been pointed out Meylus has also confirmed the manufacturer a long time ago.
Here are some indicators which link the products quite conclusively. Firstly the packaging is the same. The cardboard tower/pillar/chute is cut from the same die. The long list of blade coatings are the same and to the best of my knowledge no other blade has this particular combination and order of coatings. The barcode on the packaging shares a majority of the same numbers with the exception of the last few digits. On the inside of the cardboard packaging there is what looks like a hand stamped series of numbers which I would guess are batch numbers which again are strikingly similar. The dispensers and inserts are the same. Derby has most likely changed dispensers over the years which would explain any differences people may see but the current Derby dispensers are the same.
I think the interesting thing is most people are getting better shaves with a Blue Birds. Maybe Derby stepped up QC by request of the client or maybe they just come from a particularly good quality batch of Swedish steel… who knows.
In the end what really counts is how well they perform for you!
Here are some indicators which link the products quite conclusively. Firstly the packaging is the same. The cardboard tower/pillar/chute is cut from the same die. The long list of blade coatings are the same and to the best of my knowledge no other blade has this particular combination and order of coatings. The barcode on the packaging shares a majority of the same numbers with the exception of the last few digits. On the inside of the cardboard packaging there is what looks like a hand stamped series of numbers which I would guess are batch numbers which again are strikingly similar. The dispensers and inserts are the same. Derby has most likely changed dispensers over the years which would explain any differences people may see but the current Derby dispensers are the same.
I think the interesting thing is most people are getting better shaves with a Blue Birds. Maybe Derby stepped up QC by request of the client or maybe they just come from a particularly good quality batch of Swedish steel… who knows.
In the end what really counts is how well they perform for you!
Last edited:
I presume that you feel it's interesting because people find the blades different and you suspect they are the same. A manufacturer can make several types and quality levels of blades. For instance, the St. Peterberg plant makes several types of blades, such as the 7 O'Clock SharpEdge and the 7 O'Clock Super Stainless. They are certainly not the same in quality, despite sharing the 7 O'Clock moniker.
BTW, who did you speak to at Azmusebat?
Similar threads
