Quote Originally Posted by gugi View Post
Actually this would be an example of what to stay away from. The flattening of the spine at the heel is so large and uneven with corresponding relatively small and uneven bevel at that part, that it means the razor is either terribly ground, very incompetently honed, or warped. This is the kind of W&B I'll be very wary of going for since their quality is so inconsistent.
Hmm... Well, after thinking about it maybe "good" is not the correct word to use. Probably something more like "OK" or "acceptable"? The W&B pictured definitely has some hone wear, however considering the size it is still w/in range of a "reasonable" amount, IMO. Obviously the razor has seen some use, but is still quite servicable. Of course, if the blade were smaller, that amount of hone wear would not be desirable.

I guess what I am trying to convey, is that a lot of beginners are thwarted by the "dreaded hone wear" and would pass up an otherwise excellent shaver, where "light/mild/heavy/ hone wear" is mentioned by an honest seller. Hone wear will happen eventually, whether it be the spine or the edge from a taped spine. IMO it is mostly aesthetics. A razor with a reasonable amount of (even) hone wear can still be an excellent shaver, aesthetics aside.