I had a reasonably brief but quite deep flirtation with straight-edge and while I was able to bring a Gold Dollar up to shave-ready, they were the days when you'd have to grind the heel off to get it on the hone straight. I think the Gold Dollar has moved on a bit since then but also got the feeling that the numbering indicated how much (or little) finishing the mechanised blanks got - if they were crap, they'd get the #66 designation.
What I enjoyed honing was all manner of Swedish stuff, yes, some of which were smilers that needed a bit of imagination to get the edge on end to end ... but what I really, really enjoyed honing were some of the American razors. I guess my technique fell right with the metallurgy of those razors and the Swedish razors. Both Swedish and American should come in at reasonable prices and end up a more satisfying razor to ultimately shave with than a butchered Gold Dollar.
This Gold Gem (J Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa 9/16) was one of my real successes and after selling it here have come to regret it ... I'd love to have it back if anyone still has it.
Immaculate spike point! I liked spike points. Spike points and big Dreadnoughts! I could nick off individual hairs around sideburns with the spike points.
Looking through my notes, I think I honed up maybe 15 to 20 vintage straights and only the one went in the bin (the Gold Dollar). The rest, I was happy with the shave and decided that maintenance was not my thing and moved them along.
I was able to get to that level of satisfaction really very quickly, so again, encourage you to pick what appears to be a good (but dull) vintage razor and see how you go.
My kit? Budget!
I was gifted a circa 10K Chinese stone which slurried up just lovely and always put a really comfortable finish onto vintage razors. I tried some of those Welsh stones but didn't get on with them. For a deeper progression, I had a 5K and 8K ceramic set which I think were retailed for Japanese kitchen knives and then some felt and neoprene flat strops* which I sprayed with diamond spray for finishing real stinkers that seemed to go backwards with my technical on that Chinese stone.
This was maybe a decade ago, so a little hazy. I do recall success, though ... and success quite quickly, so jump on in and have a go!
* DIY - take some really flat wood or better, cut a really flat tile and glue the material to it. Neoprene (the underside of a mouse mat) and diamond spray worked out well between the 10K stone and the leather strop. Oh, there's also lapping film which is easier to get hold of nowadays as well.