Absolutely gorgeous heirloom quality razor and my second Ralf Aust purchase. Beautifully made and 'almost' (for me anyway) shave ready out of the box. I touched it up slightly with my 20K Suehiro Gokumyo stone for the 'machine edge like' sharpness that I personally prefer. You could shave with it out of the box for sure it just wasn't quite at the level that I want. The only negative was that the first one I received had a tiny crack in one of the wooden scales that Ralf probably missed. RE replaced that one for me without issue.

Scales: 10/10 the silver inlays are very nice and add a beautiful touch Blade: 9/10. For background, I love a full hollow blade. This blade does not disappoint here. Great against the grain, really cuts the grain quite nicely. Blades ability to maintain a sharp edge after a strop: 9/10. I am VERY picky about a the ability of a blade to maintain a super sharp edge after a thorough strop. I require a VERY VERY sharp edge. This razor was almost back to a professional edge after a solid strop. Point: 10/10. I love a Spanish tip. It allows me more precision and this razor has it in spades. Overall this is definitely in my weekly rotation. Nicely done!