I just bought a Gold Dollar razor from ebay and a Filly strop from Ruprazor. I got it the other day, and fixed and honed the very unevenly ground razor using a diamond stone, up to 1500-grit sandpaper, and a chromium oxide-pasted piece of leather spray-glued to a piece of MDF which I call a paddle strop.

I realize that's not an ideal setup, but it is out of necessity due to my being a ministry school student with no money and no income. I would like to get a real shave-ready razor, but I literally do not have $100 right now, so I must make do.

Today I finished honing the edge with the pasted "strop", and to my surprise it actually passed the HHT. Having never seen a shave-ready razor, I don't have any idea if it's really sharp, but being a woodworker, it is probably the sharpest thing I have encountered. So, I had a go at shaving with it, using canned shaving goo in the absence of real soap or cream. Did a WTG pass followed by a ATG pass, and the result was about as good as with my dulling Gillette Fusion. Just one significant nick on my chin. Not bad at all for a first attempt, I'd say.