I am looking to buy my first reconditioned, shave ready razor and I was planning to do it in our classified section. I do have a couple of questions regarding razor condition, however.

I see razors as being shave ready and their condition as being fair, good, great, or excellent. Does this condition rating affect the shave quality of the razor or is it more its aesthetics? I saw a razor that I liked that was shave ready and listed as 'fair' condition. I'm really only interested in shave quality right now; should I be worried that the condition is only fair, will that affect shave quality? If it only refers to blemishes, etc., then I'm not really concerned, I only do not want shave quality to suffer.

Alan did a wonderful job of honing my razor, but even he said that it was still not great and not to use that razor as a baseline as to how a straight should shave. It still tugs and pulls a bit, not nearly the way it did before he honed it, and I want to know without a doubt that all tugging and pulling is simply my lack of skill and in no way attributed to the razor.

As I am on a wife mandated budget, I am not so much worried about the look of the razor and want to concentrate on its shave quality.

Thanks!