When you’re going to use a safety razor, you need to make sure that you’ve got a good set of razor blades to match. You could spend a lot on the razor itself, but if you haven’t got sharp razor blades, then you’re not going to get a good shave, and you run the risk of cutting yourself.
One of the most popular sets of razor blades is undoubtedly the Derby Extra blades. They’re one of the bestsellers online, and they generally have good reviews across the board. However, they are pretty cheap, which forces you to wonder if they’re of a lower quality than other premium razor blades.
So, just how do these blades measure up in comparison to others out there?
Derby Extra Blades Review
The Design
It’s said that these razor blades give anywhere between 7 and 10 shaves per blade. I didn’t find them to be that efficient myself, but I can attest to their quality. They’re made in Turkey, and they fit into any standard double-edged safety razor.
They come in sets of 5 when you order the package of 100 of them. This should comfortably last you for a year if you shave regularly. Therefore, you can see how cost-efficient they are in comparison to cartridge razors, which cost £2 a head on average.
Even though they’re split into dispenser sections of 5, there’s still wax paper between all of the blades. This makes it really easy to get a new blade out, and you won’t need to worry about cutting your fingers splitting the blades up.
However, something to bear in mind is that there is a ton of plastic that the blades are packaged in. With the majority of brands out there trying to minimize their plastic usage, this isn’t a great look for the brand. Hopefully, in the future, they’ll look to use less plastic in their packaging.
Using The Blades
I actually bought these Derby Extra blades as part of a set with a cheap safety razor that I wanted to try out.
I used the first with the safety razor they came with, and then I tried them with my Merkur 34C safety razor. The Merkur is a much better quality option, so from then on, I used them with this safety razor instead.
I have to say that I was actually very impressed with the shave that these blades offered. If you’ve never used a safety razor before, then there’s always going to be a learning curve when you use it for the first time.
So just take it slow, and you should be fine. This is definitely the case if you’re going to use a safety razor for shaving your head – you’ll have to be very careful not to cut yourself.
But for some people who are used to a more expensive razor blade, they may not be quite sharp enough. This is especially true if you have a thick beard, which they may start to struggle with. Though with a light beard, these blades work very well.
The Cost
Anyway, back to the performance of the blades. I’ve used a lot of different safety razor blades down the years, most recently the Wilkinson Sword DE safety blades. They cost around £5 for only 10 blades, which means that they’d cost £50 for 100 of them!
If we compare this to the £9 that I spent on 100 Derby Extra blades, then we can see a massive difference in price. Paying 9p a blade instead of 50p a blade is a massive plus in my book.
And was there any difference between the Derby Extra blades and the more expensive Wilkinsons premium blades? Well, not really.
The Wilkinsons blades did tend to last a little longer, but that’s about it really. I tend to use the Derby blades only 2 or 3 times before using a new one, whereas Wilkinsons I’d use 3 or 4 times.
However, remember that the Derby Extra blades are only 1/5th of the price, so they provide much better value for money.
In general, these are intended to be blades of mid-range quality at a low price, and I think they pull that off pretty well. They allow you to get a smooth shave when wet shaving, and unlike razors cartridges, the costs will actually be pretty small across the course of the year.
Overall Verdict
All in all, if you’re looking for a good set of razor blades for your safety razor, then go ahead and get yourself some Derby Extra blades. The difference between them and other more expensive blades is very minimal if any, and they provide much better value for money overall.
However, do bear in mind that with any safety razor, you have to be a lot more careful when you shave than if you were to use a cartridge razor. Plus, these are not really an aggressive blade, and they’re a little flimsier than some more expensive alternatives. So, they can take a little while to get used to.
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