Derby Extra - DE Razor Blades

Maybe time have changed. To tell you the truth...I had some Derby blades that totally sucked in all the Razors I tried shaving with. Whether they be Vintage Gillette or Merkur/Hoffritz razors these Derby blades just did not cut it for me.

Then I read a post about Derby blades in the "Vertical" package as opposed to the "Horizontal" package having some major quality control issues. Glad I used up the sample of 10 Derby Vertical blades but I only got about 1 or 2 mediocre shaves out of the 6 "shave-able" blades with plenty of irritation and nicks. I've been wet shaving since I was a young lad of 15 and that was 40 years ago. I'm happy to say that I will not be ordering these anytime in the future.

Most likely there are a lot of "bad" blades on the market and in storage facilities so who knows how long it takes to clear out the bad stock through attrition. They were the worst blades that I tried....even though some people swear by them. To each their own and it's just my personal opinion. Cheers

Really enjoy the Derbys. Didn't have any of the quality control issues others have seemed to encounter.

Close shave and a perfect mate for my '60 SS!

Its really really good.
Here is some pictures from DERBY Co factory;

I started shaving with Merkur baldes. Derby is the second blade I've tried, but they are sharper than the Merkurs, and give a closer shave. They are inexpensive in comparison to the Merkur (half the price!!), and IMHO, are a better blade.

These are the first blades I've used, and I think they performed quite well. I got a lot of bang for my buck. They perform consistently and reliably from blade to blade and shave to shave. I find they're not as sharp as Feathers, but I wouldn't feel deprived very much only Derbys were available.

Like any blade review, this is subjective and different razors like different blades.

That said, I'm not a derby fan. The first shave is good, the second shave is decent, the third shave is meh, then it goes in the trash. I don't mind only getting two shaves out of the blade considering the price, but red IPs are cheaper and longer lasting in my experience.

They're also a bit bizzare as to what razors do what. Usually my Schick Krona is way closer and more aggressive than my 30's tech, but with a Derby it's the other way around. The Krona pulled and skipped, but the tech killed hair like a hungry lawnmower with the same blade. No idea what that's about.

Ultimately, I find them inconsistent and harsh.

These are my favorite blades. They are considerably sharper than more expensive blades like the Merkurs and they get along famously with my face. I find the Sharks to last longer but the Derbys are smoother.

I can get a week of shaving with one blade and that is good enough for me. the last 2 shaves are not as nice but who cares? at this price I can replace the blades more often if I need to.

Don't waste your money on Merkur blades (they are overpriced and don't perform as good).

I heard a lot of good things about the Derby blade so I decided to give them a try. This has been the only blade that gives me cuts and bad irritation. Not for me.

Dear Derby Extra Blades,

May I please have back the pieces of my face that you scraped off? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Someone who will stick with his red IPs

p.s. the bleeding finally stopped about an hour ago.

I got a sampler pack with five of these in it and had a bad bad experience. This gave me one of the worst shaves. My face was on fire afterward. I haven't shaved for 3 days now because I'm scared to put anything sharp on my face. I have very bad razor burn. I went slow and steady, it wasn't like I was rushed. I can still see the razor burn under my stubble...terrible. Could it be just a defective blade? Or does my face just not agree?

The blades I have had the best shaves with are feather and shark. The latter being the best, since the feathers only last a few times. I've had zero razor burn and zero nicks with them. Once I get the courage, I'll try a new Derby blade and update my review if it goes better.

OK where would I start with these wonderful blades?
You pass these blades on your face with the proper cream or soap and you glide effortlessly like a skating champion across the ice... ok maybe that was just exageration but imo these blades passed through my hairs without as much as making a sound or pulling anything, now how does THAT sound eh?
I have to admit Im a newb on DE shaving but I can confidently say I've tried a couple of blades thanks to some B&B fellows that helped me with some blades. What was good about the longevity, smoothness, hell quality all in all was that these blades gave me 4 consecutive bbs shaves (including the neck) and an extra 2 comfortable shaves. These blades give close shaves and while theyre sharp during their first 4 shaves its practically irritation and razor burn free.
The price was not bad, not as expensive as feathers and not cheap as dorcos but could be better. Packaging, great a reusable plastic box which bests out the carton ones. I have nothing against carton packaging its just that if you have your hands wet and you grab a new blade you wet the carton and might rust new blades. Maybe not, Im just speculating.
Thing you should know bout these blades is that they are quite compatible with any user, because they are sharp but do forgive, and they can cut through hair without the need to pull the razor and feeling your hair being plucked instead of cut.
To let you know, blades I've tried so far are Derby,Iridium,Astra,Personna,Dorco 300 and 301, 7o Clock, Treet Classic.
My preference are the Iridium Super Stainless but because of their pricing I stick with my second the Derby Extras.
I used a 1959 B-3 FatBoy razor with these blades on 3rd setting all of them.
Hope this helps you.

Got a 5-pack of these with a with a cheapie najine (spelling?) razor.

Price: ~$1-2 (cheapo razor was ~$5 shipped)

Quality: I've used 3 blades in my slim adjustable (set to 6), the first was great, second... not so much started the third tonight and it seemed a little better. I've read that some batches are crap and some are great. I think i got at least one crap blade (so far). May be better with a tamer setting or less aggressive razor (i've yet to try one in my travel).

Sharpness: These blades are fairly sharp, when you get a good one...

Longevity: 5-6 shaves

Smoothness: definitely usable, but walmart personnas seem to work better for me.

Packaging: Not bad, but the dispenser looks like it could hold more blades...

I purchased a 100-pack of derby's right when I started wet shaving. I didn't realize how much one's milage could vary on blades. Anyway, I don't like doing anything by halves so I dove right in instead of buying a blade sampler.

Price: $17 for 100 with free super saver shipping from amazon. Doesn't get much better than that. The vendor even threw in an Arko shave stick.

Quality: I've used 15-20 blades, and I only hit 1 sub-par blade. They seem to be pretty consistent.

Sharpness: These blades were not sharp enough for me. I have a moderately tough beard and the blades would only cut it if I added pressure, which I refuse to do.

Longevity: This may be because of the sharpness, but I only got 1 (rarely 2) shaves out of a blade.

Smoothness: I gave smoothness a 7 because I'm not really sure. They seemed to be pretty smooth, but it was hard to tell because they wouldn't cut through anything.

Packaging: No complaints here.

Moral of story: Buy a blade sampler. I now have 80 blades that I may never use again. I guess B&B may have a lucky PIF recipient who gets a lot of derby's in the future.

These are great blades, very comfortable shavers, I have a tough beard, but can get 3-4 shaves out of these blades consistently. Got a deal on ebay from derby-exclusive - 500 blades for $49.98, shipping included! Thats 10 cents a blade! I just checked and the sale is still going on.

Great Review, went and ordered a 100 pack from amazon. Fourteen and change with no shipping or tax, Is this a great country or what? I'm an ex-M3 user and havent looked back since, thanks for the heads up.

I have used 5 Derby Extra blades and I must admit that I have not completely enjoyed the experience. I find them very rough on the skin, and a little to unforgiving if you miss. I have tried other blades: Feather and Merkur, and preferred Feather. The price of the Derby blades is very low, but I think that you get what you pay for in terms of quality. I can manage to get 4 decent shaves out of one blade, by the 4th shave it is pretty uncomfortable. Therefore I have only given the blades a 5 in longevity and in smoothness of shave and 6 in quality. The blade is in general an okay blade, but not something I am going to buy again

I haven't tried many blades yet, but I found these blades irritating on my neck. I usually don't get any irritation.....

The Derby was my first blade, and wasn't bad over all. But I have a tough beard, and soon opted for something sharper.

alyjan;1502061 said:

the feathers are definitely over-rated - nicks due to poor sharpening of the blade, and don't last long before they start to degrade in quality.

Click to expand...

lol, feather is sharpest blade around, your nicks are not because of the poor sharpening but the opposite, too sharp for some people !!

i have a moderate beard and am an experienced shaver w/ a smooth hand.

they are smooth, sharp, last 4 or 5 shaves. better than the feathers for sure, but not as good as the merkurs (but close).

the feathers are definitely over-rated - nicks due to poor sharpening of the blade, and don't last long before they start to degrade in quality.