Peculiar blade

I have a rotation of three razors that I have used for several years. Two of them will give me a 95% BBS shave with one pass. Seldom need touchups (maybe once or twice a year). The third one is my problem child. I have stroked and stroked this razor over the years. It gets really sharp but has never matched the other two for sharpness. To clarify, it will do BBS with one WTG pass and one ATG pass so it's far from BAD, I just want it to be as good as the other two! It does seem like it drags or pulls a little more than the other two which basically do not pull at all.

I use the same basic progression as the other razors: BBW w/slurry, BBW w/water, BBW a few strokes dry, Coticule w/water, coticule a few strokes dry, CH12K w/water, CH12K a few strokes dry. 100 laps of light stropping. When finished, it will pop hanging hairs easily. The edges look great under the scope. I have left the coticule out of the progression before with the same results. 5 laps on the ChromeOx strop do not seem to improve it much.

Anybody else with a razor like this or am I being too picky and should just be really thankful for the two jewels?

Anybody have any suggestions for an alternate progression that might kick it up a notch?

Thanks!

The two things that come to my mind immediately are the possibility of the heat treating or alloy being different and/or the fact, as I've seen thebigspendur say, that some razors respond to one type of hone better than another.

I certainly don't hit a home run every time I go to bat and have to take razors back to the hones to try and get them to the ultimate sharpness. Not because they don't shave well but for the exact same reason for your post. I just want them to be better than they are.

Sometimes I have found that after repeated attempts I see improvement. Whether I've developed more skill in the interim or just had to go further to hit the sweet spot I don't know but I've had it happen. I've also got some that still have a ways to go but it is a sport after all and that is what keeps it interesting.

Jimmy's right.

Also sometimes one razor might have a harder steel or just different steel or grind which can make it more time consuming or a tad more challenging to hone. If you are using the same routine to hone your razors you sometimes need to adapt for individuals.

Lastly, I find there are some select razors I have that just seem to shave at a higher level than others. No, the shave isn't any closer or even more comfortable but its kind of an intangible quality where the razor just seems to float over your face with no effort or sensation. I find that is a rare quality and those razors just have it and no amount of honing can make a razor behave that way unless it has it in it. Maybe its the way it was originally ground or the forging, I don't know.

For most of us who have a collection of razors that's why we also have a collection of hones. After awhile you get to know what razor does better with what hone or honing routine.

I know what you mean guys. Profile is one difference that I left out. The two dream shavers are full hollows - one german solingen and one british sheffield, the lesser one is a half-hollow - US. That's what I have always blamed it on, the steel differences or the temper :)