It depends on the razor. 'Shave ready' is a confusing term that is often debated in online forums.All of our razors come with a factory blade on them. They are ready to use after a few passes on a strop. We recommend you strop your razor after shaving to maintain the blade's life between honing. Remember, there are different quality razors on the market. We sell only high-quality straight razors from Boker, Dovo, and Thiers Issard.