A year or two ago I bought a sample pack of DE blades with my Mercur Futur razor. I tried a Derby blade in it and did not really like it. Today I put a Derby blade in my Ikon X3 slant razor and was really surprised how smooth it was. I guess different razors are better with different blades. The Astra SP's are still one of my favorites though.
Ya don't be afraid to revisit things cuz you never know. Things in shaving sometimes change quite a bit over time especially with all the new gear around these days.
Yes. I actually preferred Derby blades in my Futur, so it also depends on the one wielding the razor. It probably also matters what setting you use. Lower settings bend the blade more and various blades behave differently when bent. I preferred a different blade in my fixed-head DE's. I used a much steeper angle on the lower setting, too. But that's what worked for me.
I’ve gotten good shaves from most blades that some people consider garbage. Dorco, derby, Rockwell and others have all shaved well. To me they aren’t as sharp as most blades but they do well in a really aggressive razor like the r41
Wonderful! I started out with those blades but don't use them much anymore. I have found that the slant razors I own do help blades work better. I get better shave with a twisted slant more so than almost any other razor. If you get better response from that razor blade combo.... Nice! tp
I have yet to get a good shave from a Treet blade (in my Merkur 34c). It’s just not a good blade for me. Lots of tugging and it doesn’t shave close at all. But I’m wondering if (what I’m calling) milder blades (or blades that “tug” more) would be better in more aggressive razors? And vice verse. As soon as I’m brave enough to try my Stirling Aggro head again (lotsa weepers the first time around), I’m going with the Treet, to test my theory.
Different blades work different in different razors and everyone's hair and skin are different, which is why you see so many different blades out there. Im actually not a huge fan of Derby blades in DE razors but I am a big fan of them in shavettes because they arent quite so sharp and Im less likely to nick myself. Just last night I had one of the best shaves of my life in my Parker SRDW with a Derby Extra blade. Id tried this razor in the past with some more sharp blades (Dorco Prime, Personna Lab Blue) and get some razor burn, so I kind of put it down but lately got the itch to go back to straights and have tried it with some Sharks and Derbys and am back to loving it.
One thing I’ve found - thanks to this forum - is that I’ve improved my technique to the point that I can make a confident judgement on the way a blade performs (on my face, YMMV). The Treets are sub-par. The Big Ben a decent, mild blade. The Astra SP gives me more of what I’m looking for. Gillette 7’o clock Yellow was disappointing when I first tried it a couple months ago, but is now delivering much better. This all stems from dialing in my lather and riding the cap and being patient. I do find that if I’m at all rushed - and not even rushing, but feeling like I should be moving faster due to the time - my shave suffers. I just bought tucks of Gillette Platinum, 7 o clock Blacks, and Personnas in a red box. Heard good things about all - sharp and smooth, - and can’t wait to compare to the Astra SP, which I think is the best for me so far. Are all these recent purchases Russian made?
Derby's new product , Derby Usta blades are really good. They are sharper than Extras and still comfortable.
