Review (5/5): GD are far and away the best cheap straight razor out there
Golden Dollar has a reputation as the only cheap straight razors that actually work and that can be sharpened and used for daily shaving. I did not expect the blade to be shave ready and I was not dissapointed. Even if it were shave ready it would still need maintained. Using a cheap $25 set of stones questionably advertised as 8k, followed by careful use of a $65 Shapton Kuromaku 12k followed by a $25 paddle stropping resulted in a shave nearly as smooth as a disposable blade shavette style straight razor. I am very pleased with the results. You can not get a better straight razor for anywhere near the price of a Golden Dollar. Be careful closing it, the scales (handles) are cheap and if the blade hits then while closing it would then need to be touched up. Also take a small grinder, dremmel size or such, not an angle grinder, and grind off the guides at the heel that keep the blade from resting flat when sharpening. One last note, whoever thought a blood red circle logo in the center of a straight razor was a good idea was mistaken.