I'm using Derby blades again

Araner · Post by **Araner** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:27 pm

A couple years ago there was wide spread criticism of Derby blades. It had seemed that QA at the Derby plant had gone haywire, or that they had completely changed their manufacturing process for the worse. I was a long time Derby user and I quit using them because I’d noticed that they no longer provided dependably smooth clean shaves.

Well, on a whim, I bought a box of Derbs the other day and it appears that they have fixed whatever the problem was. I am happily getting the kind of shaves I used to get.

Just thought I’d share my experience in case there are other Derby users out there who abandoned ship a couple years ago like I did. And, I hope that the blades I’ve recently used are the standard and not just a few that miraculously came out right.

All the best,
Mike

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:35 am

Mike, maybe its older age messing with your blade tolerance?

clive

Spenser · Post by **Spenser** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 5:58 am

The ONLY nicks I am gotten since undertaking this art form is with Derby blades. I blame it on the blade.

Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:00 am

Derbys are the only blade my son has used in about 4 years. He continues to insist they are as good as any.

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:15 am

I was a dedicated Derby man but went off them when I purchased a box and found the blade quality to be so suspect from blade to blade. One would be good for 3 or 4 shaves, then I'd get one that was crap from the get-go and have to change it out mid-shave. Then I'd get another one ---- and it was likewise crummy. It was to the point where I was lucky to get 2 good blades out of a pack of 5 -- or at least that is what it felt like.

When I moved to Feathers, I became content, and found that no blade gave me the results that they did.

I still have about half a box of Derby blades from my last investment and will often PIF them along to newbies who are interested in trying them out. ymmv.

LookingGlass · Post by **LookingGlass** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:22 am

The Derby is the first blade I used when returning to DE/wet shaving several years ago. I still find them to be good blades, especially in my vintage Gillettes

l

Ed

ateace · Post by **ateace** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:58 am

When I first started DE shaving 5 years ago, my first blade was Derby and they worked really well in my Merkurs.

Then, as happens with most of us, I ventured of into a journey of blade exploration.

One day, a new EJ DE87 arrives in the mail from TESC with a free pack of Derbys and I pop one in for the first shave. It went really well and I'm now in a phase of appreciating gentle shave from EJ razors paired with Derbys.

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:32 pm

I used Derby exclusively for almost a year. Ran out and tried the Astra blades. I've got to get more Derby's.

Randy

clayglen · Post by **clayglen** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 10:09 am

I have to wonder if the razor makes a huge difference in blade performance. I like Feather in my vintage but Merkur in my newer razors. Derby and Shark in my EJ is a rash waiting to happen. I almost gave up on the razor before giving it another go with Merkur.
Seems like when recommending a blade one should add the caveat of which razor they're using.

Hmm... I should try the Derby and Shark in my SuperSpeed. It's hard to get a bad shave with that thing.

ateace · Post by **ateace** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 11:51 am

The combinations we use in our shaves can make a world of differnce.

Arguably, the most important combination is which blade with which razor,
as you are discovering.

There have been many discussions on the subject ant there will be many more.

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 2:45 pm

I have lots of Derby blades and for the most part like them. They give fairly good shaves and don't give me too many nicks unlike sharper blades.

Racso_MS · Post by **Racso_MS** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:32 pm

We all know that if you have the technique down pat (and most of us "Older Members" do) an acceptable shave can be had from just about any blade.

It then boils down to preference.

Oh I know some are better than others, but if we "follow through", we can get a decent shave from any blade.

Technique, technique, technique...

And as we always say..YMMV