Jim, I like to recondition and shave with straight razors. "Razor sharp" is a very tricky thing to achieve and maintain, by hand. My benchmark sharp blade is a cartridge blade made by a Japanese company called "Feather" (http://www.feather.co.jp/eProducts.htm). Those blades will remove skin painlessly, and don't become "razor" sharp until about 2 weeks worth of shaving. It's hard to imagine something too sharp to shave with. I figure it's impossible to get an edge like that by hand. Downright scary.
My traditional honed/stroped blades are the result of 2000 years of shaving tech and are "razor sharp"....meaning they take off hair but not skin (unless it's dull). No nicks or cuts unless you drag the blade longways. Then they will literally remove your head if you aren't careful.