The derby pulls pretty bad at me. I wasn't able to enjoy it. I rate it low because of that. Sharper blades give me a smoother stroke. The derby felt like it hung and pulled on every hair. I was able to get a 2 pass BBS using advanced techniques like j-hooking and G- slide but I was tender and red for a hour or so after and the tenderness continued for a few hours after that. I also didn't stay smooth half as long as normal.
I wouldn't write of the Derby blade completely, not just yet. I believe this blade should be tried in multiple razors. John described it perfectly in the above post. While ymmv of course, this blade has such a gap of love it or hate it most likely due to the first choice of razor with the first shave. While ideally every blade should perform in every razor , we know there are very few that do. I find in the older open comb it pulls and tugs, the newer closed (bar) combs and adjustable it is so smooth you may check for the blade. I have never tried a slant I can't have an opinion with one.
I tried it in a prewar tech head on a ball end handle. I'll try it in something like my faatboy set on 9 see if it does better. I still have 2 more. I might try it in a shavette too.
It's interesting how people have different experiences with different blades. The Derby has become one of my favorites. I shaved with the same Derby for 2 weeks straight and probably could have gone more, but it was time to try the Gillette Silver Blues I had ordered. My favorite three blades - and the ones in rotation for the next 7 years or more according to my stock - are: Gillette Silver Blue Derby Astra I have a few feathers as well - maybe 25 of them. But my other 500 consist of the above. And I am quite content with those three. Heck, I could be perfectly fine only using ONE of those (brands, not a single razor) for the rest of my life.
It seems as though for all the negativity Derby gets (mostly in the USA ?), they seem to be doing something right. I did a quick search and it looks like it is the 3rd most frequently purchased blade in the world. Second was Astra SP and first was Feather. Not every year was the same but this top 3 was the the most consistent the most years.
Everyone has a different face. I'm almost certain that I have a course beard and sensitive skin because I hardly ever get more than 3 or 4 shaves off any blade before it hurts. I prefer sharp blades with some smoothness, Kai, GSB, Astra SP, Personna blades, etc. I have found feather too sharp and voskhod either too sharp or I have a reaction to its coating or a little of both.
Feather seems to be the most recommended blade on youtube. Derby comes with near every cheap new razor along with Dorco and Astra SP is just a very common quality blade. I'm not surprized by those numbers.
What do you mean by skip and jumping? I' am not sure what you are referring to, as I have never had a razor jump or skip (using the common definition of the words), during shaving.
It happens when the blade gets stuck in the whiskers, but not sharp enough to slice, so it will tug in the whisker until it suddenly either slices it or simply skips over. This is completely unavoidable for me if I would use Derby. The razor make visible jumps as it climbs over whiskers. If the blade is not sharp enough for me, I always get weepers when using R41. With a sharp blade the razor slices easily through without causing this problem.
That's interesting. It must have something to do with an individuals whisker type or frequency of shaving, as I have never experienced it.
After using the Czech three hole Tiger blades in both a Gillette "NEW" OC and a Parker solid bar shave head I can throw my vote in with @DDuckyMark these blades flat SUCK! The ABSOLUTE worst blade I have ever used!! I was only able to shave one cheek with either razor before I had to stop and use another blade. The blades simply have NO redeeming qualities IMO!! I honestly wouldn't use them if I could get them for FREE!
I'm kinda over my sampler at this point. I just want familiarity for awhile. That being said, I think it's good to use blades without reading about them first. I found the Derby and a SuperMax amongst the best in my sampler and the Astra SP amongst the worst. Not sure I'd have reached the same conclusions reading first. That being said, I threw the Derby into an aggressive razor having read of its properties.
