Double Edge Razor Blades Compared: Astra, Derby, Gillette, Feather and More

Every double edge blade is the same size, so any of them will fit your safety razor or shavette. What changes between brands is the steel, the coating and the grind, and that changes how sharp the blade feels, how forgiving it is on the skin and how many shaves you get before it drags. This guide compares the blades we actually stock, explains how pack sizes work so you order the right quantity, and covers half blades and hygiene for barbers.

How to read razor blade pack sizes

This is the question we get asked most, so let's clear it up before we talk about brands. Blades are packed in layers, and listings describe those layers in a few ways.

• Tuck (or pack): the small cardboard sleeve with 5 blades inside, each blade individually wrapped in wax paper. Some brands use 10 blade tucks (Dorco Prime and Merkur, for example).
• Box of 100: 20 tucks of 5 blades, so 100 blades in one retail box. This is the standard unit for most brands and the one we sell most of. The Astra Superior Platinum 100 pack is exactly this: 20 x 5.
• Box of 200: a few brands, mainly Treet and Shark Platinum, ship 200 blades per box (40 tucks of 5).
• Carton: a wholesale case of boxes. A 10 pack of boxes of 100 is 1,000 blades. Our Astra 10000 carton is 100 boxes of 100, which is 10,000 blades, and it is meant for busy shops and resellers, not a home shaver.

So "100 x 10" or "10 pack" on a boxed blade listing means 10 boxes of 100, not 10 blades. Work it out as tucks multiplied by blades per tuck, then by the number of boxes. A listing that says "5pk" or "10 blades" is a single tuck, the right way to trial a brand before committing to a box.

Half blades for shavettes are sold the same way, usually 100 pre-cut half blades per box, each one wrapped. One box of half blades gives you 100 single edges, whereas a box of 100 double edge blades snapped in half gives you 200.

What actually makes blades different

Three things separate one blade from another.

• Sharpness: how aggressively the edge cuts. Sharper blades clear coarse beards in fewer passes but punish poor technique and sensitive skin.
• Smoothness: how the blade glides. This comes mostly from the coating. Platinum, chrome and PTFE (Teflon) layers reduce friction and tugging.
• Longevity: how many shaves before the edge rounds off. Very sharp blades often drop off faster than medium ones.

Sharpness and smoothness are separate scales. The table below uses the reputations these blades have earned over years of use by barbers and wet shavers, not lab numbers.

Double edge blade comparison table

Brand by brand: who each blade suits

Feather Hi-Stainless (Japan)

The sharpest mass produced DE blade you can buy. Feather Hi-Stainless blades cut a coarse beard in one pass with almost no pressure, which is why they are brilliant in a shavette for lineups and why they bite beginners. They are not known for long life either. Heavy beard and good technique, nothing else feels like a Feather. New to safety razors, start elsewhere and come back.

Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow (Sharp Edge)

Many experienced shavers rate the Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow as the best balance available: nearly as sharp as a Feather but noticeably smoother and longer lasting. The green (Permasharp) and Super Platinum versions sit a step milder. If Feather is too much and Astra is not enough, this is the one.

Astra Superior Platinum

Astra is the benchmark. Medium to high sharpness, very smooth coating, consistent from blade to blade, and it works in just about any razor. This is why barbershops buy it by the carton. It suits all skin types and is the sensible first box for anyone switching from cartridges.

Personna Lab Blue (USA)

The Personna Lab Blue is the American made favourite. Slightly milder than Astra on the first shave but it holds its edge well, so cost per shave is low. Very smooth, and a good blade for shavettes once snapped. The Lab Blue box is 100 individually wrapped blades rather than tucks.

Dorco Prime Platinum (South Korea)

Dorco's top blade is sharper than people expect and gentle with it. Comes in 10 blade tucks, so a box of 100 is 10 tucks. A good upgrade for anyone who finds Derby too mild but is not ready for Feather.

Parker Premium Platinum and Merkur Super Platinum

Both are mid sharpness, high smoothness blades with proper multi layer coatings (Parker a platinum and tungsten chrome polymer, Merkur platinum and Teflon). Predictable, and well matched to a mild razor like a Merkur 34C. Merkur packs in 10 blade tucks, Parker in 5s.

Derby Extra (Turkey)

The classic beginner blade. Derby Extra is mild and very smooth, and it will not scratch even when your angle is off. Heavy beards find it tugs, but for sensitive skin, head shaving or a client's first straight shave, mild is a feature. Derby Premium (black box, Swedish steel) is the sharper, more refined version.

Shark, Lord and Bolzano (Egypt)

All three come out of Lord Precision Industries in Egypt and all three are value blades. Shark Super Chrome is the pick of the Shark range, a step up from Shark Super Stainless. Lord Super Chrome is milder again. Bolzano Superinox, with its titanium coating, is the gentlest of the group and genuinely good for sensitive skin. Tatra Platinum (Czech Republic) and Treet Platinum (Pakistan) sit in the same value bracket and Treet's 200 boxes are the cheapest per blade in the range.

Picking a blade for your razor and your skin

Blade and razor work as a pair. A mild razor (Merkur 34C, most Parker closed combs) gives you room to run a sharp blade like Feather or 7 O'Clock Yellow. An aggressive open comb or slant razor is better paired with a smoother mid blade like Astra or Personna. If you are still working out your razor, the safety razor beginners guide walks through aggression, head types and technique.

1. Sensitive skin or new to DE shaving: Derby Extra, Bolzano Superinox or Astra.
2. Normal skin, average beard: Astra, Personna Lab Blue, Parker Premium.
3. Coarse, dense beard: Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow, Dorco Prime, then Feather.
4. Not sure: buy single tucks of three or four brands and shave a full week with each before judging. One shave tells you very little.

Half blades and single edge blades for shavettes

Shavettes and barber razors take half a DE blade. Either snap a standard blade in half or buy pre-cut half blades, also called single edge or saloon blades. Pre-cut is faster, safer and the only sensible choice behind a chair when you change blades for every client.

Half blades we stock include the Derby Premium Single Edge (Swedish steel, sharp and precise), Lord Platinum Saloon, Shark Saloon, Perma-Sharp Super, Dorco Prime Red and Parker Premium Platinum single edge. They are all 100 to a box, individually wrapped. Note that "single edge" here means a half DE blade for a shavette, not the thick GEM or injector style blades, which fit different razors altogether.

For lineups, barbers generally want a sharp half blade because a mild one drags on short hair at the hairline. Derby Premium and Perma-Sharp are the usual picks; Lord Platinum Saloon is the gentler option for sensitive clients.

Blade life and hygiene for barbers

At home, a DE blade is good for roughly three to seven shaves depending on the brand, your beard and whether you rinse and dry it after use. Replace it the moment it starts to tug.

In a barbershop the rule is simpler: one blade per client, no exceptions. Open a fresh wrapped blade in front of the client, use it, then drop it in a blade bank or sharps container. Never reuse or leave a used blade in a shavette between clients. Clients notice. Disinfect the razor itself between clients as well; the barber tool disinfection guide covers the full routine for razors, clippers and combs.

• Store unopened blades in a dry drawer, away from the basin.
• Keep two blades on hand: a smooth mid blade like Astra for most clients and a sharp half blade like Derby Premium (or a snapped Feather) for heavy beards and lineups.
• Count your usage before buying a carton. At 200 half blades a month, a 1,000 blade carton is five months of stock.

FAQ

Do all double edge blades fit all safety razors?

Yes. Double edge blades are a standard size, so every DE blade fits every DE safety razor. Single edge razors (GEM, injector, Feather Artist Club) take their own formats and are not covered here.

Why are Feather blades so sharp and should a beginner use them?

Feather uses a very fine grind and hard Japanese stainless, so the edge is thinner and cuts with less pressure. That means less tugging on a coarse beard but no margin for a bad angle or too much pressure. Most barbers recommend beginners learn on Astra or Derby and move to Feather once their technique is solid.

How many blades are in a 10 pack?

Check the listing title and description. On this site, a "10 pack" or "100 x 10" of boxed blades is 10 boxes of 100, which is 1,000 blades. A "5pk" or "10 blades" is one tuck. If you only want to try a brand, order a single tuck or a single box of 100, not a carton.

Can I snap a double edge blade in half for a shavette?

Yes. Leave the blade in its wax paper, fold it along the centre line until it snaps, then unwrap each half. Pre-cut half blades are quicker and involve less handling of a bare edge, which matters twenty times a day.

Which blade do most barbershops use?

Astra Superior Platinum, by a long way, because it is sharp enough for most beards, smooth enough for most skin and consistent across thousands of blades. Shops that do a lot of lineups and straight shaves usually add Derby Premium half blades or snapped Feathers for the heavier work.

Shop the guide

• All razor blades, double edge, half blades and cartons from Astra, Feather, Derby, Gillette, Personna, Dorco, Shark, Lord, Treet and more
• Safety razors from Merkur, Parker, Mühle and others to pair with your blade
• Razor holders and shavettes for barbers using half blades

Barbershops and salons going through blades by the carton can apply for a trade account for wholesale pricing on blades, razors and the rest of the back bar.