There are many factors which will affect the ultimate capabilities of each razor, the steel, the tempering,the grinding, the honing, the stropping and the skill of the user. Sometimes you can buy two razors of the exact same brand and model and one will shave very different than the other. Sometimes the skill of the honer can compensate but from my experience there are some razors that no matter what you do they only have it in them to do so much. Sometimes the difference is a minor degree. Two razors may give equally close shaves but one may just be smoother than the other and you can do all the honing in the world and it just won't improve.