If a Gold Dollar is honed right, it can give you a "decent" shave with no problems. I stress decent since it isn't a spectacular shave. Really if you aren't willing to spend more then 20 dollars on a straight. Shaving with one may not be for you. You could always try a shavette since they are always sharp and ready to go. They also cost about 20 dollars plus a few bucks more for blades and you don't have to mess around with stropping or honing.