Derby

DERBY razor blades are the backbone of most barber stations, and this collection is deliberately narrow: six blade boxes, and nothing else. Two of them are single edge blades for shavettes and straight razors; the other four are double edge blades for classic safety razors, offered as a 5-blade pack or a bulk 100-blade box. That is the entire range, and for a working barbershop it is usually all you need.

What is actually in the DERBY razor blades collection

The single edge side covers two grades. DERBY Professional Single Edge (100 pcs) is the mild one, rated 1/5 on sharpness: stainless steel with a chrome-ceramic, tungsten and platinum coating, built for sensitive to normal skin and light to medium beard density. DERBY Premium Single Edge (box of 100) is the more assertive blade, forged from Swedish stainless steel with a five-layer coating.

The double edge side gives you DERBY Extra in green and DERBY Premium, each available as a 5-blade pack or a 100-blade box (20 packs of five), with every blade individually wrapped in wax paper.

Single edge blades go in shavettes

Single edge blades are made for shavettes, cut-throat holders and professional barber razors. They arrive pre-cut, which removes the old habit of snapping a double edge blade in half at the station, a practice that is both inconsistent and unhygienic. This is the blade for neck cleanups, beard line-ups and fine detailing, where an exposed edge in a rigid holder gives control that a safety razor cannot match.

Double edge blades go in safety razors

The double edge blades fit every standard DE safety razor. DERBY's five-layer coating (chromium, ceramic, platinum, tungsten and polymer) is what keeps a pass smooth rather than merely sharp, cutting drag on the second and third stroke when the lather has thinned. The 5-blade pack is the sensible way to find out whether the Extra or the Premium edge suits your face before you commit to a box of 100.

A fresh blade for every client

A razor blade is a single-use tool. In a barbershop it should be changed between clients without exception, and at home it should be retired as soon as the pass starts to pull rather than glide. The 100-count boxes exist precisely for this: at shop volume, a fresh blade per client costs almost nothing, while a tired one costs you a nick and a client. Keep the boxes dry and sealed.

How to choose your DERBY blade

• Shavette, straight or cut-throat razor: choose single edge.
• Safety razor: choose double edge.
• Sensitive skin or a lighter beard: DERBY Professional Single Edge, the mild grade.
• Coarse beard and a confident hand: DERBY Premium, in Swedish stainless steel.
• Testing a new edge: start with a 5-blade double edge pack, not a box of 100.

Browse the wider Shaving & Blades category, compare the double edge specialists at Astra, or look at the single edge boxes from DORCO.