The main problem with Gold Dollar razors is that there is a blade stabilizer on the heel of the razor that prevents the heeel of the razor from laying flat on the stone during the honing process. The first step in honing the razor should be to take a Dremel tool and reducing the stabilizer until you can hone the entire blade from heel to toe. Once that step is completed, the razor will hone pretty much as any other decent straight razor. While Gold Dollar razors use Chinese steel, the quality is pretty decent. They can normally be honed to shave ready status. Because the steel is a little soft, the honing process goes quickly compared to some harder steels. However, because the steel is soft, the edge will need to be refreshed more frequently than some others.