Thread: What makes a razor good/bad?

Forgive my newbiness, but my brother bought me a Master brand razor for like $10-15 off eBay. Despite that it obviously needs a good honing before using it, what exactly makes it inferior to a $50-100 razor?

It won't take a good honing, while a $10-$15 vintage razor in good condition will.

it's quite likely they're using inferior steel, and, that they're hardening/tempering process is much worse. Also, I'm going to venture a guess that the grinds are quite as good as more reputable razors as well.

good steel properly hardened and tempered makes a good razor. Otherwise the razor won't hold its sharpness long enough to for even one shave. I know of no new straight razor priced below $70... if your brother paid less than that, he was taken to the cleaners, so to speak. Keep the razor, however, it will make a good practice tool to learn the basic movements needed for stropping, honing, etc.

You can buy a good used razor from a member here on this site for as little as $35. It will have been cleaned up and sharpened appropriately.

Welcome to the site... the membership here is friendly, so join in the discussion and get your questions answered. Remember, we were all newbies at one time, so there are no dumb questions