I've been following this thread and finally have a moment or two to post. As a noob to straight shaving any of the blades you are considering will do a fine job for a shave. Your first razor should be one that appeals to you out of the bunch. If there is a difference in quality of shave between them you will not notice it for several months at the earliest. In straight shaving the quality of the shave is directly related to the sum of all the components. I am referring to your stropping, your shaving technique, your face prep, the honing your razor received, the shave soap/cream you will be using and the quality of lather. I may have missed one or two and the order of importance may be off a little as will different people have a different perceived value on their importance but all directly relate to the quality of your shave. Different people honing your razor and even the same person on different days can affect the edge quality. That is part of what makes this hobby so great! I would venture a guess that by the time you get proficient in your techniques you will be looking to add to your razor collection if you are persistent in your quest to use straight razors. Come a year from now you will look at your first razor with a different light. It may be your favorite razor or you will have a new favorite. Which ever it is you will have greatly improved your skills enough to make an accurate assessment of the razor. Good luck. I look forward to reading about your adventures and progress.