I have been wet shaving for 30+ years. As recently as 15 years ago, mediocre to good shaves were the rule, and great shaves were rare. Today, with so many great bases to choose from (B&M Excelsior, WK Siero, A&E Kaizen, DG Milksteak, SV, to name a few), great shaves are the rule, and anything less than a very good shave is rare. I don’t think the hardware has changed much over the years, I think it’s the soaps that have made a huge difference. Thoughts?