Thread: Same maker but very different steel

About a year and a half ago I picked up a Jackson (knife and shear) razor, not in the best of shape but the steel was really nice and took a great edge with almost no effort. I don't see Jackson razors very often so when I stumbled upon one on eBay I jumped on it. This one was absolutely horrible. The steel appeared to be nothing like the first one. Just upon a visual inspection the steel was obviously lighter in its weight. After trying to hone it, it was crumbling, flaking, and almost tearing on the stones. The two blades could not be any more different. I'd like to say that the steel was compromised by rust or age but there were no signs of that and the general weight and feel of it were simply not of the same caliber. I've never seen this kind of variation in quality from the same producer. Is this common?