I have been struggling to get the perfect shave with my new RazoRock Mission head since buying it a few weeks ago. The shaves were good, but not perfect. With the help from some knowledgeable members here at TSD, I learned it could be that the heavy and long Utopia Care handle I used was making the head too aggressive. It was also suggested that I use a more forgiving blade. So I switched out that handle for the short and light Merkur 33C handle and loaded the much maligned Derby Extra blade. I have shaved with this combo 3 times so far and the shaves have been sensational. I was never a Derby hater but I wasn't a big fan of them in my Merkur 33C. But they sure do work well in the more aggressive RazoRock Mission. It's amazing how by mix matching heads/handles you can find a winning combination !!!
Keep that combo! You know it works. Now experiment with the other razors in your den and see what works with those
Nice you found a working setup for you! As you seem to like less sharp blades, give also Voskhod a try! The teflon coating on them makes them very smooth.
I depends on the razor. I will never use a Derby Extra in my Merkur 33C ever again because it's not a pleasant experience. I use Astra Superior Stainless and Rapira Super Stainless blades in that. But the Derby sure does a nice job in a medium/aggressive razor. Now that I have the Mission head on a short/light handle I am going to see how an Astra SS (my favorite blade) feels. I'm psyched !!!
try the new Derby's, I believe they are called Platinum, really good sharp and smooth blades. Very close in performance to my GSB
Disclaimer.. I've never used a Derby blade before, I've always given them to my youngest son. He likes then.
Also as you learn different techniques and spend more time with various razors...sometimes you change your mind about certain set-ups you were sure you had figured out...}8^)) I've learned now to almost never throw something out...I almost always regret it later... I found that the Derbs that have dark thick ink writting on the blade are always sharper and the ones that the printing ing so thin, are gonna tug.....Don't know why...but there seems to be a pattern...Have you noticed this?
I have not even thought to look at the print. The only Derby blades I have are the blades that came with my first ever razor and the RazoRock Mission head I bought a few weeks ago. I will pay attention to that from now on though. Yes learning various techniques on different razors is a lesson I am learning now. I switched out the Derby and loaded an Astra SS. It's not quite as smooth a shave as the Derby, but it's much closer and efficient. If anyone has Derby blades they aren't going to use I am all for doing a trade. I will send some Astra SS and Rapira Super Stainless your way !!!
I certainly have a new appreciation for them when used in a medium aggressive razor. I won't used them in my very mild Merkur 33C anymore though.
I like Derbys. They work well for me , and one of the few stainless steel blades I use and get no irritation. I prefer carbon blades, but Derbys are a good all around blade for my needs.
While you're at it...Hey send some Rapira Stainless'es as stocking stuffers to @crackstar /Jeff....That guy is crazy for those...};^)) And I can dig it, I loved those aswell...although the Perma Sharp Supers are really the best for me, that I have ever used in a DE that is..Now Injectors...they to me are the "Cats Meow"... The good Col Schick did invent a better mousetrap! YMMV lol! I learned razor buffing and j-hooks from the "Mantic' vids in the Shave school stickys....after that, I found I could get great shaves from razors I had previously written off as too mild...Yep @Bama Samurai is right! "Technique trumps Tools" ! But Bama is right about so many things!
More precisely, you hated Derby paired with which razors? How new were you to DE? How long has it been? Not being argumentative, I "hated" Derby at one time. When new shavers (like me) try Derby in a mild razor like an EJ89 or Weishi, they tend to apply too much pressure and use bad angles. If you've had some experience, I fully recommend Derby, but only in highly aggressive razors.
Bama has a sayin: Technique Trumps Tools....that is so right....I used to have a Gillette Slim as my go to....I worked my way up the settings, but then worked my way down....The numbers #1  were the hardest settings to adapt to for me...but once I got so I could get a great shave in 2 1/2 passes on any setting, I found I would automatically make the proper adjustments for most razor/blade combos to receive effortless DFS or BBS results; unless the razor or blades just flat sucked...lol! Check out the SOTD threads to see what everybody's using....and also check out Bama's 30 Day Rule/Focus Thread... Ton of info there aswell as alot of laughs...
With my ongoing sample pack testing - I found the Derby Extra to be smooth but not very sharp. I rated them in the middle of the pack with Astra SP, Nacet Stainless, Lord Platinum, Gillette Silver Blue and Dorco ST 301 rating higher for providing very close and smooth shaves. All testing was done with a Merkur 34c.
