My most recent purchase, a Genco, also said shave ready and was not. Fortunately I purchased my Aust from S.R.D. and know what real shave ready feels like. It's nice to have a standard that I can reach for, though it looks to be quite a while before I get there.
A Norton 4k/8k and a coticule bout is pretty much the extent of my current set up, but I'm enjoying the learning process...mostly lol.