Derby Extra Razor Blade Review
Derby Extra razor blades are known to be smooth. In fact, many claim that they are the smoothest blade around. They are not, however, known to be very sharp.
My first experiences with Derby were ok. The great part was that they were a blade that I did not get any irritation, however I did not find them very sharp and with my less than stellar technique I found that they sometimes would pull a bit.
Having completed the review for the legendary sharp Feather razor blade, I figured it would make sense to swing to the other side of the spectrum and give the Derby a spin.
200 Derby Extra Double Edge Razor Blades
- DERBY EXTRA Stainless Double Edge Blades fit all double edge razors
- Each packet includes 20 sealed packages of 5 DERBY EXTRA blades which is a total of 100 double-edge blades
- Each individual package is sealed and contains 5 blades
- Each blade is individually wax paper wrapped
Fresh out of the pack the sharpness measured 53. For information on what this means check out Razor Blade Sharpness Testing. This is pretty well exactly what I was expecting, not even close to as sharp as a Feather (32). You can click this link to see a Razor Blade Sharpness Comparison Chart with the other blades tested so far.
I was very impressed with the first shave using the Derby. It was nothing like what I remembered, it was actually cutting through my 2 days growth no problem. I had an excellent 3 pass shave and no irritation.
After the first shave, the sharpness increased to 44! This is significant and makes perfect sense. As I was finishing my third pass I actually felt like the blade was actually reasonably sharp. I have heard of people liking to get the first shave out of the way, “prime the blade”, etc. and maybe this is why.
Note that I shave my head as well as my face and have a pretty thick growth – except for the top of my head. This means that one of my shaves might equal two of someone that just shaves their face, or even more if they have a thinner beard.
The second shave started off great, but by the time I was near the end I did not feel it was performing anywhere near the first shave. It was still relatively smooth (as in no “scraping” type irritation) but I was needing to put a little more effort into my strokes to move it along.
After the second shave the sharpness measured had dropped back down to 51. I would have like to see how it wears after one more shave, but I am not interested in putting my face through that experience.
Two of my full head shaves are about 4 face shaves, and if you shave every second day that’s a week for about 10 cents. I don’t see why you would want to push this blade any further.
Initial Sharpness = 53
Average Sharpness = 49
Edge Retention = 0.96
Smoothness = 5/5
Overall Subjective Rating = 4/5
Stainless Steel, Chromium-Ceramic, Platinum, Tungsten, Polymer Coated Edges. Made in Turkey.
I did not like the inconsistency with the range of sharpness. Starting off not very sharp, then being great, and dropping right down again is less than ideal. That said, for the price I certainly plan to buy more and these will be a use once blade for me that I know I’ll get one great shave and no irritation. I recommend the Derby razor blades for one full head shave or 2-3 face shaves. Also a great blade when starting out.
Update:
It has been almost 2 years since my review of the Derby Extra Razor Blade. After trying over 35 different DE razor blades, the Derby Extra has made its way into my regular rotation.
The best combination I have found is with the Merkur 37C. The aggressiveness of the slant safety razor combined with the smoothness of the Derby Extra makes it one of the best shaving pairs I have found so far.
I only use the razor blade once and then pitch it. If I am in a wedding party, had a job interview, or going out on the town, the Derby Extra Razor Blade with the Merkur 37C would currently be the pair that I currently reach for.
Check out more Razor Blade Reviews or look into how the Razor Blade Sharpness Testing works.
Have you tried Derby Extra Razor Blades? Be sure to leave your overall rating, the community appreciates your vote!
200 Derby Extra Double Edge Razor Blades
- DERBY EXTRA Stainless Double Edge Blades fit all double edge razors
- Each packet includes 20 sealed packages of 5 DERBY EXTRA blades which is a total of 100 double-edge blades
- Each individual package is sealed and contains 5 blades
- Each blade is individually wax paper wrapped
