I know next to nothing about the actual making of razors or knives but I've always had a preference for the forged blade , as opposed to stock removal. This is a contentious issue on knife forums and in magazine and books, on the topic, before the web came to be. I have had some custom razors made with the stock removal method and intellectually I know they are "as good," but in my heart I want a blade that was beaten to shape on an anvil, its molecules formed by the heat, pressure and impact. Even if it is no better in fact, it has soul that can't be got any other way. Just IMHO.