Quote Originally Posted by limebutterfly View Post

If something is advertised in the classifieds as "shave-ready" do I still need to have it honed?
No , if it's shave ready it will not need to be honed . Most shave ready razors are also stropped , ready to use . You may get away with a few shaves without stropping , but normally the razor is stropped before using it . You will need to learn to strop correctly before you strop your razor . You can practice the "X" stroke with a butter knife or similar smooth edged knife . There is plenty of info on this site covering every aspect of using , and maintaining a straight razor . Good luck !