What do you use to shave?

[BGR]

My barber informed me the Derby blades are "cheap". That being said, it hasn't stopped him from using them in his shop. I'd be curious as to what others think. I'm still trying out different blades and like to hear what others have to say. Thanks.

 

[DeaconKC]

@DeaconKC

Do the Derby blades still have fluctuating quality, as I remember many folks reported, many years ago?

I have been fortunate and have had very good consistency from the Derby's. I do buy the 100 packs, this is my fourth or fifth bundle and have been quite satisfied. Maybe I have just been lucky.

 

[technicolor yawn]

I got a 5 pack of derby blades with a razorock slant 37 i ordered and really didn't like the blades at all. They pulled a ton and weren't anywhere as smooth as the astras and bic chrome platinums i normally use. I absolutely love the razor though, I haven't really used anything else since I got it.

 

[DeaconKC]

I got a 5 pack of derby blades with a razorock slant 37 i ordered and really didn't like the blades at all. They pulled a ton and weren't anywhere as smooth as the astras and bic chrome platinums i normally use. I absolutely love the razor though, I haven't really used anything else since I got it.

Welcome to the place! I admit to having a coarse beard, but also rather sensitive skin [yeah, lousy combination]. Try different blades, it's part of the fun of this hobby. I still call the Dollar Store blades from Israel [check the pack] some of the best I have ever tried. Merkur blades were a no-go for me, but many love them.

 

[technicolor yawn]

Welcome to the place! I admit to having a coarse beard, but also rather sensitive skin [yeah, lousy combination]. Try different blades, it's part of the fun of this hobby. I still call the Dollar Store blades from Israel [check the pack] some of the best I have ever tried. Merkur blades were a no-go for me, but many love them.

Thanks! I bought a 100 pack of astras when I first started with safety razors several years ago, then a 100 pack of bics that I'm still working through. I'll probably try feathers or nacets next.

 

[mihai]

Oster clipper with 0000 blade(gives 1 day shaved look). A bit noisy and heavy but heavy duty. Can cut through any length, texture and thickness of hair (unlike ordinary electric shavers/trimmers that look like toys and clog/fail easily).
I cut the beard in 5 min using this device, no matter how long. Rarely do I double with foam/razor another 5 mins.
In comparison, before it was a chore by razor/foam only, razor getting clogged, etc and took me 20-30 min easily.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Another pro of the King C. Gilette DE:
I don't need to center a new KCG blade manually. It just fits.

I will try the Wilkinson Sword DE blades next time for comparison.

 

[Trenchfriend]

-King C. Gillette DE razor
-Wilkinson Sword Classic blade
-greybadger brush
-Wilkinson shave soap stick (out of production)
-Tüff Herb (Red) after shave

Yep, exactly as I remember the classic Wilkinson DE blade. Less sharp and less gentle, in direct comparison to the KCG DE blade. The KCG blade would be my recommendation for beginners. Sharp enough and very gentle.

 

[aihpcfl]

My barber informed me the Derby blades are "cheap". That being said, it hasn't stopped him from using them in his shop. I'd be curious as to what others think. I'm still trying out different blades and like to hear what others have to say. Thanks.

Derby blades are loved by some and hated by many on the shaving forums. The weight of opinion is on hate. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try them. I tend to like the blade, but I like all but one or two blades that I've used, some more, some less.

Some tips, for what it's worth:

Experience matters, and sometimes just the day. If you don't like a blade the first time you use it, hang on to what you have and try it again in a few months or a year later.

The razor matters. A mild blade like the Derby can excel in an aggressive razor. (And an aggressive blade can be less so in a mild razor.)

Attitude and adaptability matter. If a blade, like Derby, or even like Feather, is hard to like, but you want to make it work and you are willing to adapt to make it work, you will enjoy the learning process.

And, yes, I haven't bought razor blades in a long time because I have run out of room to store them, but when I stocked up on Derby, they were among the lowest cost blades at the time.

 

[DeaconKC]

I don't buy the Derby's because of the cost, although it doesn't hurt. I first tried them with a budget pack of different blades I bought that hd the Derby's, Merkur's Feathers and a couple others that I forget. The Feathers at the time for me [I was new to DE shaving] were too aggressive, who knows how I would like them today.

 

[Trenchfriend]

-King C. Gillette DE razor
-(german) Wilkinson Sword blade
-greybadger brush
-Speick shave soap stick
-Tüff classic (Red) after shave

Very well!
Like I said, the (german) Wilkinson blade is very mediocre, but the gentle King C. Gillette DE razor still equalizes that. Looking forward to switch back to the KCG blade!

 

[Trenchfriend]

-King C. Gillette DE razor
-(german) Wilkinson Sword blade
-greybadger brush
-Nautik shaving cream (out of production)
-simple body softcream

Good!

 

[Trenchfriend]

-King C. Gillette DE razor
-KCG blade
-greybadger brush
-Nautik shaving cream (out of production)
-SIR Irisch Moos after shave

Fine!

 

[Edward]

My barber informed me the Derby blades are "cheap". That being said, it hasn't stopped him from using them in his shop. I'd be curious as to what others think. I'm still trying out different blades and like to hear what others have to say. Thanks.

I bought one of the job lots of 100 blades from either Amazon or eBay, Derby brand, a few years ago. As I shave usually every other day (I tend to ensure I'm cleanshaven when I'm gonig to the office, though for a purely WFH day or a Saturday it's less of a priority), a blade does me somewhere between 10 and 14 days. It's going to take me a while to work through all of these! I like them, though - as good as anything else I've used. When I empty an individual pack, I keep it on the bathroom shelf, and as an old blade come out of the handle, I slip it into that. Takes about 20 at a push in my experience. Then I just tape over the ends - safe way of disposing of them.

 

[Farace]

For blade disposal I use an old metal tea can. I punched a slot into the top and pop-riveted it closed so no one’s fingers will find their way in, and it won’t open and spill if accidentally dropped. I’ll never fill this thing up; I’ve been using it more than ten years and I’m sure it’s nowhere near half full. It fits easily in my medicine cabinet.

 

[Edward]

View attachment 726608

For blade disposal I use an old metal tea can. I punched a slot into the top and pop-riveted it closed so no one’s fingers will find their way in, and it won’t open and spill if accidentally dropped. I’ll never fill this thing up; I’ve been using it more than ten years and I’m sure it’s nowhere near half full. It fits easily in my medicine cabinet.

Nice idea. I've seen commercial offerings that would take maybe 200 blade, but they're on the expensive side.... and ultimately just another single-use plastic.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Would DE blades fit through a Cola can's opening? I got no can here to test.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Ok, of course you could fold the blade with a "comb pliers".

 

[aihpcfl]

Would DE blades fit through a Cola can's opening? I got no can here to test.

Not unless you break the blade in half, as @Trenchfriend says. But you could easily put a slot in the side of an aluminum beverage can.

I think i remember West Coast shaving used to sell blade banks for like $1.00 apiece. It was easy to add a few to an order if you don’t want to craft something of your own.

 

[DeaconKC]

Nice shave today, I had not shaved in nearly a week, so it felt quite good to scrape the stubble.
Art of Manliness razor
Derby Extra blade
Van der Hagen Soap
Pinaud Clubman Aftershave