Difference in Derby blades

[Southbound1]

Hi I wanted to know the difference between the 3 Derby blades, so i contacted perma brands. Thought i would share the info.

Hi Mike,

Thank you for reaching out to us! We would be happy to clarify the differences between the Derby Usta, Derby Premium, and Derby Extra blades for you.

While all three blades are made by Derby, there are notable differences in terms of sharpness, coatings, and performance:

Derby Extra: This is the most gentle option, offering a milder shave, which makes it great for beginners or those with sensitive skin. It’s less sharp compared to the other two, which helps reduce the risk of irritation.

Derby Usta: The Usta blades strike a balance between the Extra and the Premium. They are sharper than the Derby Extra, providing a closer shave while still being smooth and forgiving. It’s a good mid-range choice for those looking for something sharper without being overly aggressive.

Derby Premium: This is the sharpest of the three and comes with a higher-grade coating, including platinum, which enhances both sharpness and durability. It’s ideal for those with thicker or coarser hair and is often preferred by experienced shavers.

So, while all three blades may look similar, they do have different levels of sharpness and smoothness tailored to various preferences and needs.

We hope this helps, and we are here if you have any other questions!

Best regards,
Customer Support Team
Perma Brands Corp.

 

[Kastriheartburn]

This is great information. Thanks for sharing. I’m new to DE shaving and I happen to be using Derby Extra blades to begin with.

 

[Old Hippie]

Derby Extra: This is the most gentle option, offering a milder shave, which makes it great for beginners or those with sensitive skin.

Heh. Somehow I thought "Extra" would mean, like, sharper. Sadly, no.

Good to know. I had been dumping on Derby blades as being about as sharp as the average credit card on the basis of having tried them a few times. Perhaps I was wrong about the line though not (for me, anyway) about the Extras. I'll have to reassess my opinion.

Thanks!

O.H.

 

[Southbound1]

Yeah i am revisiting(Gillette slim)De shaving. Long time straight razor shaver, i am taking a break from straight razors. Anyways De razors have always tore my face up. I went to Razor blade club and ordered different blades to try. Imo a de can probably deliver a skin friendly shave , like a straight, i just goita find the correct blade. I had a med prep blade i has years ago from try a blade. At first it seemed too sharp (after 3 shaves) but now on my 6th shave still going strong and shave is very comfortable.


I have researched personna blades and they're supposed to be all the same, for example the med prep (now Accutec i believe) personna blues are comfort coated box now, but recently they are calles Accuforge. Anyways i read these are all the same blade just packaged different. The med preps go through a extra sanitizing process. I guess the Accuforge (persona blue) and the Personna comfort coated unmarked blades are the same. Off the top of my head i cant remember all the blades i ordered from Razor blade club: Lord platium, Derby exta, Derby usta, Derby premium, Parker, Bic platinum chrome, ( i believe these two blades are the same)Bic Astor, (Revisiting)Kai, Gillette 365, Wilkinson sword German, Personna German, Wilkinson sword Gillette, Tiger stainless, Timor, Dovo.

 

[Lane101]

Hi I wanted to know the difference between the 3 Derby blades, so i contacted perma brands. Thought i would share the info.

Hi Mike,

Thank you for reaching out to us! We would be happy to clarify the differences between the Derby Usta, Derby Premium, and Derby Extra blades for you.

While all three blades are made by Derby, there are notable differences in terms of sharpness, coatings, and performance:

Derby Extra: This is the most gentle option, offering a milder shave, which makes it great for beginners or those with sensitive skin. It’s less sharp compared to the other two, which helps reduce the risk of irritation.

Derby Usta: The Usta blades strike a balance between the Extra and the Premium. They are sharper than the Derby Extra, providing a closer shave while still being smooth and forgiving. It’s a good mid-range choice for those looking for something sharper without being overly aggressive.

Derby Premium: This is the sharpest of the three and comes with a higher-grade coating, including platinum, which enhances both sharpness and durability. It’s ideal for those with thicker or coarser hair and is often preferred by experienced shavers.

So, while all three blades may look similar, they do have different levels of sharpness and smoothness tailored to various preferences and needs.

We hope this helps, and we are here if you have any other questions!

Best regards,
Customer Support Team
Perma Brands Corp.

Hi, Thank you for sharing.

There is a lot of confusion over this as you can see in the thread below from last year. Per the Azmusebat corporate website (link below) the Usta's appear the be the new name or replacement for the Derby Extra blades. On the website they are called Derby Usta Extra leading one to believe these are the same blades with a new name and packaging design. Derby Extra and Premium blades are no longer listed.

I also just pulled the latest Derby PDF catalog and they now only list the Usta blades, no listing of Derby Extra or Derby Premium blades as has been the case in earlier catalogs. This latest catelog was first posted in 2023.

While I'm sure that Perma Brands is trying to communicate the best information they can come up with it's not consistent with the Amuzebat Corp. information so I suspect they've been misinformed or just providing their best guess. For example platinum coatings are not a differentiator between Extra and Premium blades. Derby Extra blades are also coated with this (see below). Also they have Derby Extra and Premium blade inventory they need to sell off.

My interpretation of this is that Amuzebat may have discontinued Derby Extra and Premium blades replacing them with the Usta (means expert in Turkish) brand. Given how long DE blade stock hangs around in retail (years) we will likely see all of these brands continue to float around for a long while.

Note that Amuzebat has not, to my knowledge, ever confirmed any actual difference between Derby Premium and Extra blade other than the name and packaging. In their 2021 catalog both were described with the exact same copy "Special double coating with chromium,ceramic, platinum & tungsten for optimum edge durability & comfort". Derby Usta was not listed back then though there is some on-line evidence they were being sold in the local Turkish market.

Note there is some on-line thought that the Derby Extra/Premium brands were meant for export markets while Usta is the domestic brand. Again unclear if there is any difference in the actual blades. Per the above Amuzebat may have decided to no longer have a separate export brand (Extra/Premium) and is now just going with Usta globally. Even the English version of the Derby catalog only shows the Usta brand now.

Link to Amuzebat Corp website:

Derby Usta = Derby Extra per Azmusebat Corp. Web Site

Was scrolling through the Azmusebat Corporate web site and saw that the Derby Usta blades are shown as Derby Extra blades on this site. Azmusebat is the name of the company that makes Derby blades. In their catalog Derby Extra blades are positioned as professional barber products, not as...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Southbound1]

Hi, Thank you for sharing.

There is a lot of confusion over this as you can see in the thread below from last year. Per the Azmusebat corporate website (link below) the Usta's appear the be the new name or replacement for the Derby Extra blades. On the website they are called Derby Usta Extra leading one to believe these are the same blades with a new name and packaging design. Derby Extra and Premium blades are no longer listed.

I also just pulled the latest Derby PDF catalog and they now only list the Usta blades, no listing of Derby Extra or Derby Premium blades as has been the case in earlier catalogs. This latest catelog was first posted in 2023.

While I'm sure that Perma Brands is trying to communicate the best information they can come up with it's not consistent with the Amuzebat Corp. information so I suspect they've been misinformed or just providing their best guess. For example platinum coatings are not a differentiator between Extra and Premium blades. Derby Extra blades are also coated with this (see below). Also they have Derby Extra and Premium blade inventory they need to sell off.

My interpretation of this is that Amuzebat may have discontinued Derby Extra and Premium blades replacing them with the Usta (means expert in Turkish) brand. Given how long DE blade stock hangs around in retail (years) we will likely see all of these brands continue to float around for a long while.

Note that Amuzebat has not, to my knowledge, ever confirmed any actual difference between Derby Premium and Extra blade other than the name and packaging. In their 2021 catalog both were described with the exact same copy "Special double coating with chromium,ceramic, platinum & tungsten for optimum edge durability & comfort". Derby Usta was not listed back then though there is some on-line evidence they were being sold in the local Turkish market.

Note there is some on-line thought that the Derby Extra/Premium brands were meant for export markets while Usta is the domestic brand. Again unclear if there is any difference in the actual blades. Per the above Amuzebat may have decided to no longer have a separate export brand (Extra/Premium) and is now just going with Usta globally. Even the English version of the Derby catalog only shows the Usta brand now.

Link to Amuzebat Corp website:

Derby Usta = Derby Extra per Azmusebat Corp. Web Site

Was scrolling through the Azmusebat Corporate web site and saw that the Derby Usta blades are shown as Derby Extra blades on this site. Azmusebat is the name of the company that makes Derby blades. In their catalog Derby Extra blades are positioned as professional barber products, not as...

www.badgerandblade.com

So are the usta blades a significant better blade than extra, even though its the same blade different name? Meaning newer advanced better sharpening technology. So Derby premium is no longer made? These blades from the same manufacturer are confusing. Look at all the what used to be St Petersburg blades, And Lord. How much many different assembly lines would they need to have, i bet they do a lot of change overs. I wandered if all blades are the same from the same company just relabeled/rebranding. Maybe they sharpen the different blades like straight razor honers do Meaning blade A gets 10,000 grit, and blade b gets 6,000 Adding additional bevel facets doesn't make a blade sharper, its the opposite. Increasing bevel angle with each facet means less acute sharpening angle. I read all the Personna usa made blades are honed the exact same way??

 

[Southbound1]

I just looked at all three blades from Razor blade club (usta, premium extra) and the wrapper is the same is says "Azmusebat's". I tried Derby extra years ago and the wrapper said Derby extra (still have a few old stock) So if they have all three brands in the same wrapper then i guess they were made together sometime in the near past or present time. If usta has new blade technology (double polishing) Then i would be curious to know why they would not further polish the extra and premium,(if they are still being produced)i would assume all are made on the 'new/same equipment.' Or maybe they just reserve the 'new equipment ' for usta. The lady from Perma Brands Corp said the premium are the sharpest, and the usta are the middle of the road sharpness. Confusing lol.

 

[geneaut]

I've learned not to believe anything a razor blade manufacturer says. I also know many manufacturers change products and keep the same wrappers and marketing. It makes discussions about products like this difficult without knowing when a particular product was manufactured.

Shave with all three and make a decision based on the performance you get. I like the USTAs over the other two, but all of my blades are a few years old, so I don't know if they are the same product available today.

 

[Zynn]

Heh. Somehow I thought "Extra" would mean, like, sharper. Sadly, no.

Good to know. I had been dumping on Derby blades as being about as sharp as the average credit card on the basis of having tried them a few times. Perhaps I was wrong about the line though not (for me, anyway) about the Extras. I'll have to reassess my opinion.

Thanks!

O.H.

Extra is kinda misleading, extra what?

 

[Lane101]

So are the usta blades a significant better blade than extra, even though its the same blade different name? Meaning newer advanced better sharpening technology. So Derby premium is no longer made? These blades from the same manufacturer are confusing. Look at all the what used to be St Petersburg blades, And Lord. How much many different assembly lines would they need to have, i bet they do a lot of change overs. I wandered if all blades are the same from the same company just relabeled/rebranding. Maybe they sharpen the different blades like straight razor honers do Meaning blade A gets 10,000 grit, and blade b gets 6,000 Adding additional bevel facets doesn't make a blade sharper, its the opposite. Increasing bevel angle with each facet means less acute sharpening angle. I read all the Personna usa made blades are honed the exact same way??

Again my post above includes all the fact-based information from the manufacturer. No evidence to indicate that the Usta blades are better or different. Derby was claiming double grinding for a cathedral style hone years ago for their Extra blades so the double polishing you mention may just be marketing copy regarding what they've been doing for a while. Unclear if Derby Extra and Premium are discontinued with only Usta now listed in the catalog.

 

[Southbound1]

Again my post above includes all the fact-based information from the manufacturer. No evidence to indicate that the Usta blades are better or different. Derby was claiming double grinding for a cathedral style hone years ago for their Extra blades so the double polishing you mention may just be marketing copy regarding what they've been doing for a while. Unclear if Derby Extra and Premium are discontinued with only Usta now listed in the catalog.

My opinion (only a option) These Derby blades are probably the same QC. They're probably honed/sharpened the same way. Maybe the steel is different on some for example swedish steel.
For example Personna American made blades. Someone contacted them and indeed they're all sharpened the same.

 

[Chandu]

i bet they do a lot of change overs.

I would be at the scale these folks (Gillette, Derby, Personna et al). They run millions of blade X then change over and do millions of Y then again and millions of Z. I don't think they are changing three times a shift, probably more like three times a month. With dwindling supply of X, Y or Z determining what is run next.

 

[helicopter]

Here is some independent objective information:

I think Usta and Premium are the same grind, with different coatings. Usta looks like a platinum coating with its J-shaped curve, and the Premium looks like a chrome coating. Both probably contain some platinum. The Premium is slightly sharper initially and slightly more durable. I think the shapness difference is the coating and the durability could be due to slightly better but similar steel.

They probably say the Premium is Platinum because people think that means it is more expensive, but it doesn't actually mean that.

The Extra is definitely a milder grind, and of course the cheaper steel.

 

[Southbound1]

Here is some independent objective information:

View attachment 1943263

I think Usta and Premium are the same grind, with different coatings. Usta looks like a platinum coating with its J-shaped curve, and the Premium looks like a chrome coating. Both probably contain some platinum. The Premium is slightly sharper initially and slightly more durable. I think the shapness difference is the coating and the durability could be due to slightly better but similar steel.

They probably say the Premium is Platinum because people think that means it is more expensive, but it doesn't actually mean that.

The Extra is definitely a milder grind, and of course the cheaper steel.

What method do you use to check sharpness?

 

[helicopter]

What method do you use to check sharpness?

I make 100 cuts to monofilament nylon and measure the force with an Edge On Up sharpness tester, which is a peak force scale for blades.

 

[Southbound1]

I make 100 cuts to monofilament nylon and measure the force with an Edge On Up sharpness tester, which is a peak force scale for blades.

Weird thing wander why a kai and a feather will not pass a hanging hair test yet they're sharp. I think it might be because of the thick coating. I have a Kai to test, its been years since i shaved with one

 

[Lane101]

My opinion (only a option) These Derby blades are probably the same QC. They're probably honed/sharpened the same way. Maybe the steel is different on some for example swedish steel.
For example Personna American made blades. Someone contacted them and indeed they're all sharpened the same.

I wouldn't be surprised if you are correct. We've had that question regarding just Derby Premium vs. Extra blades where the marketing copy for the two is identical with nothing to explain what makes the premium blades better.

 

[helicopter]

Weird thing wander why a kai and a feather will not pass a hanging hair test yet they're sharp. I think it might be because of the thick coating. I have a Kai to test, its been years since i shaved with one

Kai is not that sharp, it just has unusual width, which increases exposure and thus the subjective feeling of sharpness. I am not sure about Feather. It is exceptionally sharp.

 

[Southbound1]

Kai is not that sharp, it just has unusual width, which increases exposure and thus the subjective feeling of sharpness. I am not sure about Feather. It is exceptionally sharp.

I thought Kai was next to Feather in Sharpness?? I know neither a Kai or a Feather straight out of the wrapper will not pass the hht/hanging out test, but after the coating wears off they both will pass the hht.How sharp does Personna lab blue show up? The reason i ask is i have read it was on the sharp side of the spectrum. I recently shaved with one and it wasn't that sharp to me, but i may have gotten a dud blade though. A friend of the sent me one to try.

 

[helicopter]

I thought Kai was next to Feather in Sharpness?? I know neither a Kai or a Feather straight out of the wrapper will not pass the hht/hanging out test, but after the coating wears off they both will pass the hht.How sharp does Personna lab blue show up? The reason i ask is i have read it was on the sharp side of the spectrum. I recently shaved with one and it wasn't that sharp to me, but i may have gotten a dud blade though. A friend of the sent me one to try.

The American Personna is very sharp, but nothing is close to Feather.