The theory says that the razor's edge begins to rust as soon as it is put down and without proper stropping this oxided edge will yield only poor to poorer shaves.

OK, if one accepts this theory, does it explain why no edge on a factory new razor is considered to be shave ready? The edge rusts in the box, package, whatever, and comes to the buyer inevitably deteriorated. Now, does this also tell us that the factory edge may have been shave ready - at the factory - but there is no chance that it could come to the end user in that pristine condition? Of course, this also implies that the master honed edge might become unshavable in transit to the user.



more food for thought, hmmm?