A while ago, my brother-in-law asked me to suggest a razor so he could try Double Edge shaving, so as he’s a starter, I got him an Edwin Jagger Kelvin razor - essentially an EJ DE89 with a shorter, lighter handle. I was impressed with the quality, especially for £16, but I don’t normally go for very mild combos, so wasn’t tempted myself. Then a couple of weeks back I saw the Kelvin up for under £13 ($17), and thought - why not?
If you’re not familiar with this razor, there’s no more thorough review than this: EJ Kelvin with DE89 Head - Review, Photos, Measurements, Photo Analysis - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/ej-kelvin-with-de89-head-review-photos-measurements-photo-analysis.529136/ by @ShavingByTheNumbers. A wonderful review, so I tip my hat to you, sir!
My previously mildest combo was with a cheap razor called the ‘TR-33D’, teamed with a ‘Viking’s Blade Mild” razor blade. Looking back at my shave log, I see I recorded that two day shave as “not the closest all day shave ever, but comfy all day.” When the Kelvin arrived it made me want to evaluate milder combos across razors with similar, ‘R89/DE89’ style heads, and with a blade which is Marmite amongst shavers, but I think is generally seen as milder than many - the Derby Extra. I have over 1600 blades, but I’ve never bought the Derby Extra - my stock of 30 all came packaged with razors, so no great loss to use them!
Now I like smooth and comfy shaves as much as the next man, but quite often I chase not only a smooth and close shave, but also one which lasts me all day - aiming for up to twelve hours in what I refer to as an ‘ADS’ - an all day shave. This search for bliss sometimes results in shaves that are close - all my shaves are ALWAYS close, if nothing else - but can also give irritation and soreness on my lower neck, which like many men, seems to be the most sensitive part of my skin.
So my aim was to dial things down to a softer result, even if it resulted in shaves which may not last as long as I can get from, say, Perma-Sharps, Gillette Yellows, and Feathers. (In fact one of the best shaves I’ve ever had came with the brilliant Rockwell 6S on plate 5 and a second use Feather.) So, back to basics and work up!
I’m also aware, from my own experience and that of others, that blades can change characteristics as they’re used. To maintain consistency in the blade, I decided to use a new Derby Extra for each of five shaves. And to allow the equipment a level playing field, I’d carry out these five shaves on ‘two-day’ shaves each time. (Another aim of this trial is to explore a good, mild combination that can also reliably be used when I need to shave on consecutive days.)
Each shave would be with the same lather and brush, and shave in cold water. The prep would always be my default - shave directly after a shower, during which I exfoliate; then aso Blue pre-shave. Post shave was to be cold water rinse, witch-hazel, followed a few minutes later by a balm where required, and a splash.
As I was going to begin with the EJ Kelvin, all the others are also ‘safety bar’ razors of a similar, three piece design. So the line-up would be:
I then remembered that my wife has a lovely Rosegold Mühle R89 - so why not bookend this little venture with two classic designs - the EJ DE89, and the Mühle R89? So the five razors became six!
For lather, I chose one of my favourites - The Goodfellas Smile Amber Fougere, which I always enjoy for its warm, inviting, yet slightly sweet aroma. (Other contenders were its stablemate Shibusa 2, and Tabac, but in the end Amber Fougere won selection.) I’m using the Yaqi Sagrada Familias brush each time.
Scoring - a word about my scoring system. I measure shaves in three categories.
- Appearance - depending if redness, irritation, or bleeding is visible;
- Comfort - soreness or itchiness;
- Closeness - how smooth the skin remains throughout the day.
My normal working days were eight hours, but often went well beyond twelve, so I also score it at four times as the day goes by -
1) based on how it is ‘post-shave’ - say, ten minutes after the shave;
2) how it’s doing after four hours, (say by lunchtime);
3) how it is at the end of the eight hours;
4) and again after twelve.
So I’m more than happy if a shave scores well for twelve hours! Scores are between 1 and 5 for each category at each time point, therefore a perfect maximum would be 60/60. I haven’t given one 60 yet, but I’ve given a few 58 and 59!
Day one - Edwin Jagger Kelvin.
Two days growth. The first shave with a (to me) new razor and new blade - the EJ Kelvin, and a fresh Derby Extra.
Usual prep. The TGS Amber Fougere created a nice slick lather with my Sagrada Familias brush. First pass XTG very good, mostly close except for my throat. The second pass was ATG, and removed the rest of the whiskers quite nicely. Didn’t feel the need for a third pass, so finished off with witch hazel. Head shave took one pass and some touch-ups.
The result was pretty good. A close smooth shave, with only one tiny nick. Pretty comfy, but signs of redness and the appearance could have been better. Still, for me the true test of a shave is how it performs over the forthcoming hours, since all my shaves are close out of the box.
As the day went on, this combination provided a very comfortable shave, without any irritation or soreness. The closeness lasted for eight hours - a good working-day shave. Score - 50/60.
Day Two - Parker 98R.
Again, same prep and software as for day one. The EJ Kelvin and the Derby Extra on that occasion proved to be a very good combo - I didn’t expect a twelve hour shave, so I wasn’t disappointed, but I got two days of comfort, no irritation, no nicks or abrasions. So for the second contestant, I selected my very first DE razor - the Parker 98R. I have a lot of respect for this one, as I got plenty of nice shaves as I was learning the ropes, and I always enjoyed the longer, heavier handle. XTG then ATG, two passes for my head as well.
I have to admit that for all my admiration for this razor, experience with other tools changes your expectations, and I found this morning’s shave to be somewhat ‘tuggy’. I was disappointed that even with such a mild blade, there were several small nicks and weepers on both my face and head. The initial outcome was a close shave, but not a very comfortable one, and it lost marks for appearance due to the blood and some blotchiness.
As the day continued, the comfort increased, until by the end of the first twelve hours, I was happy with that aspect; but it hadn’t been the case all day. As for appearance, it remained the same throughout, and didn’t settle particularly well at all, with the roughness and blotchiness on my neck showing all day. Not the best, not the worst. But for a mild combo, I feel it should have been more comfortable. The closeness of the shave didn’t last as long as I normally expect - by the end of eight hours, the regrowth was noticeable; perhaps fair for a mild set-up. So due largely to the appearance and the poor closeness as the day progressed, I scored this shave - 43/60.
Day Three - King C Gillette.
Two days growth again - same prep. The third choice was a razor which I’ve only used twice before, and had very good shaves both times, one of them exceptionally so. However that was with the matching King C Gillette blade; how would it perform when it was teamed up with the Derby Extra?
XTG then ATG as before. In progress, it felt a little ‘tuggy’, just like the Parker 98R on day two. I’m beginning to wonder whether the razors are varying in aggressiveness, or whether the Derby Extra isn’t sharp enough, and day one’s shave with the EJ Kelvin was just a very good combination. There was a couple of naughty little nicks on my face, but after the two passes and a little buffing, it was done. Onto the head shave. That went fine, with one pass doing the business; I did a little buffing but only because I still had some lovely Amber Fougere lather left!
The outcome was a shave which was, as usual, very close; but the appearance left plenty to be desired, with some blotchiness on my lower neck. This continued throughout the day, and failed to settle to something better. However it was reasonably comfortable throughout. As a result, in the main, of the poor appearance, this one scored - 46/60.
Day Four - TR-33D.
Today I used the razor with a rubbish head and a very good handle - the TR-33D. This razor only came about because I saw it advertised on eBay for just over £16, (around $20) and the description said the handle weighed 179 grams - or 6.3 ounces! Since it was a Stainless Steel handle, my curiosity was truly piqued! When it arrived, it was ‘only’ 105 grams, or 3.7 ounces, but it was short at 77mm, and had excellent quality knurling. So it was worth it for the handle alone. The head’s pretty poorly chromed, but what the heck! I’ve mentioned my previous outing with this razor in tandem with a Vikings Blade Mild blade, and that was a decent result.
Loaded with the Derby Extra, early indications weren’t promising. It left several nicks to my head, and my neck was red and somewhat blotchy. The closeness was fine, but it didn’t score high for comfort or appearance. As the day progressed, the irritation didn’t settle noticeably, and my neck was still red and sore all day. Even the closeness faded after only a few hours, so by the eight-hour mark, it wasn’t as clean as it should have been. Hence the score for this combination - 38/60.
Day Five - RazoRock Mission.
I bought the RR Mission because I had a couple of their razors already which I liked, and I fancied a go with another. I have to say that it’s given me a series of really nice, long-lasting shaves in the past, with Gillette Yellows, Perma-Sharps, and Nacets. But how would the Derby Extra perform up against these blades?
Early indications weren’t promising for a great result - post-shave, it was very close, but it gave me several nicks on both my face and head - this isn’t the norm for me. It wasn’t sore, but there was some redness, albeit less than the last couple of shaves. If it wasn’t for these little cuts, which remained visible, I’d have scored it higher for appearance. So it was comfy and close early on, but given that I frequently get much better looking shaves from sharper blades, it hadn’t come close to the gold standard. As the day progressed, my skin remained red, and the smoothness faded; it didn’t stay comfortable, so it scored - 42/60.
Day Six - Mühle R89.
Ti close, the other classic head of the Mühle R89 bookended this series of shaves. As it’s my wife’s razor, I swapped the Rosegold handle for the iKon Bulldog II stainless steel.
The early indications were of a very nice shave. The Amber Fougere lathered up great as always. The R89 did the XTG/ATG two-step nicely, without drama or protest. One full pass on my head with some picking up. My skin was left irritation free, comfortable and close, with no damage. Lovely.
As the day progressed, the closeness remained, fading very gradually only toward the end, but my skin was comfortable all day long, for a full twelve hours and beyond. This is a nice, clean shave, and I scored it accordingly - 51/60.
So what should I conclude? Well, the best shaves with the Derby Extra were undoubtedly the two ‘classics’ of the set - the Edwin Jagger DE89, and the Mühle R89; the King C Gillette won an honourable mention. The others didn’t leave me good enough shaves to merit a repeat with this blade. But I’ve had very nice shaves with all of them when sharper blades were loaded.
And what of the Derby Extra? For me, it’s certainly one of my milder blades, and with twenty-nine left, I don’t expect I’ll be buying any more. Yet with the two winners of this try-out, the Edwin Jagger and the Mühle, it’s given me nice shaves, which at some stage I’ll probably repeat on consecutive days. The aim of the exercise, to evaluate milder combos for future use has been a success. And although it’ll probably not tell experienced DE shavers anything new, it may be of interest to starters seeking a mild combination while developing their technique. And I’ve learnt that this blade will only give me nice shaves in particular razors, so it won’t become a part of my favourites!
On a side note, following a conversation with @Tirvine recently, his thoughts made me decide that giving these blades a try-out on a second shave was worthwhile; as he rightly pointed out, some blades improve across the first few uses. I discard mine after three, and although I don’t want to try all six combos again, I’m going to repeat the trial with the three highest scorers - the EJ DE89, the Mühle R89, and the King C Gillette, teamed with the same blade as before on a second run. I’ll post the outcomes if anyone’s curious!
I hope this has been of a little interest to someone other than myself!
If you’re not familiar with this razor, there’s no more thorough review than this: EJ Kelvin with DE89 Head - Review, Photos, Measurements, Photo Analysis - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/ej-kelvin-with-de89-head-review-photos-measurements-photo-analysis.529136/ by @ShavingByTheNumbers. A wonderful review, so I tip my hat to you, sir!
My previously mildest combo was with a cheap razor called the ‘TR-33D’, teamed with a ‘Viking’s Blade Mild” razor blade. Looking back at my shave log, I see I recorded that two day shave as “not the closest all day shave ever, but comfy all day.” When the Kelvin arrived it made me want to evaluate milder combos across razors with similar, ‘R89/DE89’ style heads, and with a blade which is Marmite amongst shavers, but I think is generally seen as milder than many - the Derby Extra. I have over 1600 blades, but I’ve never bought the Derby Extra - my stock of 30 all came packaged with razors, so no great loss to use them!
Now I like smooth and comfy shaves as much as the next man, but quite often I chase not only a smooth and close shave, but also one which lasts me all day - aiming for up to twelve hours in what I refer to as an ‘ADS’ - an all day shave. This search for bliss sometimes results in shaves that are close - all my shaves are ALWAYS close, if nothing else - but can also give irritation and soreness on my lower neck, which like many men, seems to be the most sensitive part of my skin.
So my aim was to dial things down to a softer result, even if it resulted in shaves which may not last as long as I can get from, say, Perma-Sharps, Gillette Yellows, and Feathers. (In fact one of the best shaves I’ve ever had came with the brilliant Rockwell 6S on plate 5 and a second use Feather.) So, back to basics and work up!
I’m also aware, from my own experience and that of others, that blades can change characteristics as they’re used. To maintain consistency in the blade, I decided to use a new Derby Extra for each of five shaves. And to allow the equipment a level playing field, I’d carry out these five shaves on ‘two-day’ shaves each time. (Another aim of this trial is to explore a good, mild combination that can also reliably be used when I need to shave on consecutive days.)
Each shave would be with the same lather and brush, and shave in cold water. The prep would always be my default - shave directly after a shower, during which I exfoliate; then aso Blue pre-shave. Post shave was to be cold water rinse, witch-hazel, followed a few minutes later by a balm where required, and a splash.
As I was going to begin with the EJ Kelvin, all the others are also ‘safety bar’ razors of a similar, three piece design. So the line-up would be:
- Edwin Jagger Kelvin - 63 grams / 2.22 oz
- King C Gillette - 103 grams / 3.63 oz
- RazoRock Mission - 101 grams / 3.63 oz
- Parker 98R - 124 grams / 4.3 oz
- TR-33D - 136 grams / 4.8 oz
I then remembered that my wife has a lovely Rosegold Mühle R89 - so why not bookend this little venture with two classic designs - the EJ DE89, and the Mühle R89? So the five razors became six!
For lather, I chose one of my favourites - The Goodfellas Smile Amber Fougere, which I always enjoy for its warm, inviting, yet slightly sweet aroma. (Other contenders were its stablemate Shibusa 2, and Tabac, but in the end Amber Fougere won selection.) I’m using the Yaqi Sagrada Familias brush each time.
Scoring - a word about my scoring system. I measure shaves in three categories.
- Appearance - depending if redness, irritation, or bleeding is visible;
- Comfort - soreness or itchiness;
- Closeness - how smooth the skin remains throughout the day.
My normal working days were eight hours, but often went well beyond twelve, so I also score it at four times as the day goes by -
1) based on how it is ‘post-shave’ - say, ten minutes after the shave;
2) how it’s doing after four hours, (say by lunchtime);
3) how it is at the end of the eight hours;
4) and again after twelve.
So I’m more than happy if a shave scores well for twelve hours! Scores are between 1 and 5 for each category at each time point, therefore a perfect maximum would be 60/60. I haven’t given one 60 yet, but I’ve given a few 58 and 59!
Day one - Edwin Jagger Kelvin.
Two days growth. The first shave with a (to me) new razor and new blade - the EJ Kelvin, and a fresh Derby Extra.
Usual prep. The TGS Amber Fougere created a nice slick lather with my Sagrada Familias brush. First pass XTG very good, mostly close except for my throat. The second pass was ATG, and removed the rest of the whiskers quite nicely. Didn’t feel the need for a third pass, so finished off with witch hazel. Head shave took one pass and some touch-ups.
The result was pretty good. A close smooth shave, with only one tiny nick. Pretty comfy, but signs of redness and the appearance could have been better. Still, for me the true test of a shave is how it performs over the forthcoming hours, since all my shaves are close out of the box.
As the day went on, this combination provided a very comfortable shave, without any irritation or soreness. The closeness lasted for eight hours - a good working-day shave. Score - 50/60.
Day Two - Parker 98R.
Again, same prep and software as for day one. The EJ Kelvin and the Derby Extra on that occasion proved to be a very good combo - I didn’t expect a twelve hour shave, so I wasn’t disappointed, but I got two days of comfort, no irritation, no nicks or abrasions. So for the second contestant, I selected my very first DE razor - the Parker 98R. I have a lot of respect for this one, as I got plenty of nice shaves as I was learning the ropes, and I always enjoyed the longer, heavier handle. XTG then ATG, two passes for my head as well.
I have to admit that for all my admiration for this razor, experience with other tools changes your expectations, and I found this morning’s shave to be somewhat ‘tuggy’. I was disappointed that even with such a mild blade, there were several small nicks and weepers on both my face and head. The initial outcome was a close shave, but not a very comfortable one, and it lost marks for appearance due to the blood and some blotchiness.
As the day continued, the comfort increased, until by the end of the first twelve hours, I was happy with that aspect; but it hadn’t been the case all day. As for appearance, it remained the same throughout, and didn’t settle particularly well at all, with the roughness and blotchiness on my neck showing all day. Not the best, not the worst. But for a mild combo, I feel it should have been more comfortable. The closeness of the shave didn’t last as long as I normally expect - by the end of eight hours, the regrowth was noticeable; perhaps fair for a mild set-up. So due largely to the appearance and the poor closeness as the day progressed, I scored this shave - 43/60.
Day Three - King C Gillette.
Two days growth again - same prep. The third choice was a razor which I’ve only used twice before, and had very good shaves both times, one of them exceptionally so. However that was with the matching King C Gillette blade; how would it perform when it was teamed up with the Derby Extra?
XTG then ATG as before. In progress, it felt a little ‘tuggy’, just like the Parker 98R on day two. I’m beginning to wonder whether the razors are varying in aggressiveness, or whether the Derby Extra isn’t sharp enough, and day one’s shave with the EJ Kelvin was just a very good combination. There was a couple of naughty little nicks on my face, but after the two passes and a little buffing, it was done. Onto the head shave. That went fine, with one pass doing the business; I did a little buffing but only because I still had some lovely Amber Fougere lather left!
The outcome was a shave which was, as usual, very close; but the appearance left plenty to be desired, with some blotchiness on my lower neck. This continued throughout the day, and failed to settle to something better. However it was reasonably comfortable throughout. As a result, in the main, of the poor appearance, this one scored - 46/60.
Day Four - TR-33D.
Today I used the razor with a rubbish head and a very good handle - the TR-33D. This razor only came about because I saw it advertised on eBay for just over £16, (around $20) and the description said the handle weighed 179 grams - or 6.3 ounces! Since it was a Stainless Steel handle, my curiosity was truly piqued! When it arrived, it was ‘only’ 105 grams, or 3.7 ounces, but it was short at 77mm, and had excellent quality knurling. So it was worth it for the handle alone. The head’s pretty poorly chromed, but what the heck! I’ve mentioned my previous outing with this razor in tandem with a Vikings Blade Mild blade, and that was a decent result.
Loaded with the Derby Extra, early indications weren’t promising. It left several nicks to my head, and my neck was red and somewhat blotchy. The closeness was fine, but it didn’t score high for comfort or appearance. As the day progressed, the irritation didn’t settle noticeably, and my neck was still red and sore all day. Even the closeness faded after only a few hours, so by the eight-hour mark, it wasn’t as clean as it should have been. Hence the score for this combination - 38/60.
Day Five - RazoRock Mission.
I bought the RR Mission because I had a couple of their razors already which I liked, and I fancied a go with another. I have to say that it’s given me a series of really nice, long-lasting shaves in the past, with Gillette Yellows, Perma-Sharps, and Nacets. But how would the Derby Extra perform up against these blades?
Early indications weren’t promising for a great result - post-shave, it was very close, but it gave me several nicks on both my face and head - this isn’t the norm for me. It wasn’t sore, but there was some redness, albeit less than the last couple of shaves. If it wasn’t for these little cuts, which remained visible, I’d have scored it higher for appearance. So it was comfy and close early on, but given that I frequently get much better looking shaves from sharper blades, it hadn’t come close to the gold standard. As the day progressed, my skin remained red, and the smoothness faded; it didn’t stay comfortable, so it scored - 42/60.
Day Six - Mühle R89.
Ti close, the other classic head of the Mühle R89 bookended this series of shaves. As it’s my wife’s razor, I swapped the Rosegold handle for the iKon Bulldog II stainless steel.
The early indications were of a very nice shave. The Amber Fougere lathered up great as always. The R89 did the XTG/ATG two-step nicely, without drama or protest. One full pass on my head with some picking up. My skin was left irritation free, comfortable and close, with no damage. Lovely.
As the day progressed, the closeness remained, fading very gradually only toward the end, but my skin was comfortable all day long, for a full twelve hours and beyond. This is a nice, clean shave, and I scored it accordingly - 51/60.
So what should I conclude? Well, the best shaves with the Derby Extra were undoubtedly the two ‘classics’ of the set - the Edwin Jagger DE89, and the Mühle R89; the King C Gillette won an honourable mention. The others didn’t leave me good enough shaves to merit a repeat with this blade. But I’ve had very nice shaves with all of them when sharper blades were loaded.
And what of the Derby Extra? For me, it’s certainly one of my milder blades, and with twenty-nine left, I don’t expect I’ll be buying any more. Yet with the two winners of this try-out, the Edwin Jagger and the Mühle, it’s given me nice shaves, which at some stage I’ll probably repeat on consecutive days. The aim of the exercise, to evaluate milder combos for future use has been a success. And although it’ll probably not tell experienced DE shavers anything new, it may be of interest to starters seeking a mild combination while developing their technique. And I’ve learnt that this blade will only give me nice shaves in particular razors, so it won’t become a part of my favourites!
On a side note, following a conversation with @Tirvine recently, his thoughts made me decide that giving these blades a try-out on a second shave was worthwhile; as he rightly pointed out, some blades improve across the first few uses. I discard mine after three, and although I don’t want to try all six combos again, I’m going to repeat the trial with the three highest scorers - the EJ DE89, the Mühle R89, and the King C Gillette, teamed with the same blade as before on a second run. I’ll post the outcomes if anyone’s curious!
I hope this has been of a little interest to someone other than myself!
