Welcome to the forum. I have to say I never have had a GD razor. They have a reputation for being unpredictable quality. I also learned to hone on pristine razors. As far as getting blades pro honed, I do that to. Not because it is needed in order for me to get a good shaving edge. I do it to feel the edges that others achieve. In the early times of my honing it also gave me a benchmark to shoot for. Happy shaving.