I'd like to hear what other folks have to say about Derbys. I find that generally I don't enjoy them during the shaving process, they feel rough, but the shave itself is pretty darned fine.
Derbys: Rough and yet a smooth shave
- Thread starter erudolph
- Start date
Interesting. I find Derbys to be quite smooth, but I don't get as good of a shave as I would from something sharper, like Gillette 7 O'clocks. It's funny how faces differ so much 
It's my daily go to blade. Never had a problem with any part of a shave that I could directly blame on the blade.
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They were my go to blade for a year or so (I always had nice shaves, just a little redness on the neck) but after going back to some sharper blades (Swedes, Feathers, and now Super Iridiums) I sold my remaining Derby blades.
Derby didn't work for me... I have tried them with Slim, Fat Boy and SS and nothing worked, they were sharp but very rough.
Crystal and Personna (US) give me great shaves but so far my go to is the Gillette 7 O'clock Yellow Pack, they are smooth, sharp and nimble.
Tried them with Merkur HD that usually gives me decent shave but not as close as the Red Tip, and the results were great.
I will try the Slim the Fat Boy and the rest of my puppies in the next few weeks, but I have got a feeling that some razors will be on their way to the B/S/T forum.
Crystal and Personna (US) give me great shaves but so far my go to is the Gillette 7 O'clock Yellow Pack, they are smooth, sharp and nimble.
Tried them with Merkur HD that usually gives me decent shave but not as close as the Red Tip, and the results were great.
I will try the Slim the Fat Boy and the rest of my puppies in the next few weeks, but I have got a feeling that some razors will be on their way to the B/S/T forum.
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Derby's are my blade of choice hands down. I started shaving yesterday and felt like my blade was dull or rough. Opened the head and saw an astra blade in place. I forgot I ran out of my derby's and loaded a fresh astra blade as a stand-by the day before. Its amazing to me how rough my shave felt and the overall difference in the shave because a lot of people absolutely love astras! My face, like everyone elses', is different and derby's are king (in my world) : P
The Derbys are comfortable yet aggressive enough. I like them in my Progress but for my Gillette Slim Adjustable they are too gentle.
Although Derbys are consistent I prefer red pack Asian Personnas all around.
Forgot to mention that at the price point you get a very good product. This may be another factor.
Although Derbys are consistent I prefer red pack Asian Personnas all around.
Forgot to mention that at the price point you get a very good product. This may be another factor.
I try them now and again, and they are okay... I'm just such a huge fan of BiC blades that nothing else feels remotely close (except the now gone Swedes).
Derby's for me are inconsistent...one day last week I used a derby in my slim and got one of the best shaves...two days later slim/derby and it was just okay...so I'll say they are middle of the road for me in preference...
They are my blade of choice too. Nothing but smooth shave from them. Red IP's are really rough feeling on my face. Feathers are really good but also a lot more expensive than the Derbys.
They were horrible in my Merkur 38C, but are super in my Super Adjustable. I'd say how well a blade shaves is often razor dependent.
I tried one again today in my Red Tip, and I feel exactly the same about them. Nice and smooth face, not a very fun shave though. I'm finally starting to feel the difference in blades
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I'm a big fan of Derby. Yes, there are better/sharper blades out there. However, I personally have never run into any consistency problems with them; To the point where I use them as a baseline when evaluating new razors, soaps and creams.
So far I believe my blade preference from worst to best:
1. Merkur
2. Dorco ST-300
3. Crystal
4. US Personna
5. Red Pack Israeli
6. Derby
7. Astra
8. Gillette Yellow 7 O'clock
9. Feather (smoothest and sharpest, but I stay away due to price and longevity)
So far I believe my blade preference from worst to best:
1. Merkur
2. Dorco ST-300
3. Crystal
4. US Personna
5. Red Pack Israeli
6. Derby
7. Astra
8. Gillette Yellow 7 O'clock
9. Feather (smoothest and sharpest, but I stay away due to price and longevity)
I've tried Derby blades in my HD and my Tech, I feel the blade tugs and feels rough, but yeah, the shave itself turns out DFS, maybe just a bit of irritation on my neck. I recently tried Red IP's in the same two razors and have had a very easy, smooth, tug-free shaving experience, to the point where I felt the Red IP's were not doing much of anything, but the end result was a DFS, so, yeah, Derby's do feel a little rough, but I can only compare them to one other blade.
It's been a while since I shaved with a Derby, but I get a similar sensation with Treet DuraSharp Classic carbons.
On shaves beyond the first, with longer growth, there are hints of tugging on the first pass, but as I get closer to the end, it becomes smooth as silk, with a DFS as the result.
I only like Derby's (Derbies?) in my HD. I would like a IP in anything else.
Derbies in my Merkur 38c Barberpole are a dream. Tried them once in my Super Speed and got many nicks and not as good a shave. Now, this, I am sure, is my inexperience with the SuperSpeed. However, my first shave with the Merkur was not as fraught with nicks. Different blades are more or less forgiving in certain razors (and different techniques).
edit: Took that Derby out of the SuperSpeed and put it in the Merkur ===> Multiple nicks on neck. Probably a bad blade?
edit: Took that Derby out of the SuperSpeed and put it in the Merkur ===> Multiple nicks on neck. Probably a bad blade?
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