Shave ready means the razor is sharp enough to shave. The term is a measure of sharpness. However, there is no true universal standards, actual shave readiness is dependent upon each person’s skill level and preferences.

It is widely accepted that an edge finished on an 8k stone is shave ready. Finishing stones are considered to be 12,000 to 16,000 grit. Examples include Naniwa, Spyderco UF, Chromium Oxide, and Shapton. Some people do not consider a razor shave ready until it has been honed on such a finishing stone/method. However, not classifying a razor as shave ready until it reaches such a point would be inaccurate. The term really does mean ready to shave, not “what I’d like a razor to be honed on.”

We agree with the 8,000 grit benchmark. 16,000 is nice, but we prefer our razors to be sharpened on an even finer hone.