Dorco

The DORCO single edge razor blades in this collection come down to a single, honest choice: Blue or Red. Two boxes, 100 blades each, both made for shavettes and professional barber razors. There is no cartridge system and no safety-razor blade here, and that narrowness is the point: one gentle edge, one aggressive edge, and a clear reason to pick between them.

DORCO Blue: the forgiving edge

DORCO Blue is the stainless steel blade with balanced, moderate sharpness. It is the blade to reach for with sensitive skin, with clients who redden easily, and with anyone still learning to hold a shavette at the right angle. The glide is soft and the bite is controlled, which means a beginner's heavy hand is far less likely to translate into razor burn.

In a shop, Blue is the default for a straightforward face shave on normal skin and light to medium stubble.

DORCO Red: the sharp edge

DORCO Red is the opposite temperament. Made from premium Japanese stainless steel and finished with a friction-reducing coating, it is sharper and more aggressive, and it cuts thick, coarse hair without tugging. Each blade is individually wrapped in wax paper, so it reaches the skin fresh.

Red rewards an experienced hand. Used with light pressure it delivers an ultra-close shave in fewer passes, which is exactly what you want on a dense beard: fewer passes means less friction and less irritation, even though the blade itself is the fiercer of the two.

Single edge means shavette, not safety razor

Both DORCO boxes hold single edge blades. They belong in a shavette, a cut-throat holder or a professional barber razor, not in a double edge safety razor. Because they are cut at the factory, nobody has to snap a blade in half at the chair, which is the single most common source of uneven edges and cut fingers in a barbershop.

This is the format for neck cleanups, crisp beard line-ups and detail work around the ear and jaw, where the long exposed edge follows the contour of the face precisely.

Boxes of 100, and a fresh blade per client

Both boxes hold 100 blades, and that count is not an accident. It is sized for a shop that changes the blade for every client, every time, with no exceptions and no reuse. At that volume the cost per shave is negligible, while the alternative, a dull blade on a second client, costs comfort, hygiene and reputation.

Keep the box dry, load a fresh blade with the holder open, and dispose of used blades in a sharps container.

How to choose

• Sensitive skin, beginners, everyday face shaves: DORCO Blue.
• Thick or coarse beard, experienced barbers: DORCO Red.
• Unsure: buy one of each and let the chair decide.

See the full Shaving & Blades category, or compare these against the boxes from DERBY and Perma Sharp.