Thread: What about a honing contest?

I think the error lies in calling it a "contest." I for one would appreciate the opportunity for feedback from SRP peers. That would mean more to me than a numerical ranking.

I believe any and all objections to doing this could be eliminated by changing it from a contest to general assessment. Use the same judging methodology to assess each honer's work according to some standardized scale but don't bother trying to decide who one and lost.

I have to get back to my granola and birkenstocks now.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I think it is a bad idea. The only way to make it fair would be to have the contestants physically present together and have them all use the same hones in the exact same condition and use the exact same razor in the same state of dullness and time them. All pretty impossible eh? otherwise there are too many variable. How will you judge the results, with microscopic examination, shaving? Its all too subjective. What if the razor shaves like a dream but the bevel ain't too good? or the bevel looks great and passes a microscopic test but doesn't shave good?

As I see it, it is not a contest about who can create the most even bevel. I just think the jury should shave, and rate the blade on shaving comfort, shaving closeness and level of irritation after the shave. I always thought shaving was the purpose for honing. Microscopic examination is an aid, not a goal, imho.
It is most certainly not the idea to elect the "Honer of the Year 2009". I merely felt it would be an interesting idea to offer the occasional honer the opportunity to compare his edge against a bunch of others. The way 4 seasoned shavers experience a certain edge surely offers meaningful feedback. That the best received razor wins a price only adds to the fun and is meant to be a motivator for many people to join, which makes it more interesting for everybody.
About the result being too subjective, well, lets cancel boxing matches decided on points, lets cancel gymnastics, dancing and figure skating as sports. All too subjective, since a jury gives points.

Originally Posted by Kees

I think it would be great fun but we have to keep in mind the winner is not necessarily the best honer: the smoothness of a test shave depends on too many variables. The sharpness of a blade is a function of the razor, the hones and the skill of the honer.

I couldn't agree more. It's a bit like pigeon racing. (an bird sports, big in Belgium and Japan) You train the pigeons to the best of your abilities, and then you send them off for the race, and hope they 'll perform at their best.

Originally Posted by Kees

Suppose 200 members enter a razor, how long will it take to complete all the test shaves?

If and when official registering of contenders starts, I would close at a preset number. I think 40 contenders should be doable. But I don't think it will be such a big success.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I think the error lies in calling it a "contest." I for one would appreciate the opportunity for feedback from SRP peers. That would mean more to me than a numerical ranking.

I believe any and all objections to doing this could be eliminated by changing it from a contest to general assessment. Use the same judging methodology to assess each honer's work according to some standardized scale but don't bother trying to decide who one and lost.

I have to get back to my granola and birkenstocks now.

That depends on how uptight people get when competition becomes involved.
We're (almost) all men here, right? Don't you guys like to play?

Feedback from SRP peers is great. Everyone can send a razor to a fellow member, and have a conversation about its shaving performance.

There are already 6 people wanting to participate. I think you will have enough to do the first annual contest

I think people shouldn't take this too seriously.
It's like a bag hopping contest (zaklopen voor de nederlandsch taligen ). It doesn't matter who wins, and winning doesn't mean you are better or worse at the average.
In the case of baghopping, it just means that you were the least drunk (or bogged down by children) of all contestants

Originally Posted by Bruno

I think people shouldn't take this too seriously.

a huge +1!!

Oh come on now, we need more than six people!

Chris L

Originally Posted by Bruno

I think people shouldn't take this too seriously.

A medium-sized +2 for that! You can't take such an important event too seriously

Originally Posted by Bruno

It doesn't matter who wins

I thought there was going to be a prize for the winner?

If only 6 people sign up, I figure I have a decent chance of winning even if my honing skills are nonexistent. Let the games begin

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

If only 6 people sign up, I figure I have a decent chance of winning even if my honing skills are nonexistent. Let the games begin

That made me chuckle, Lee. I agree with you. For me to say that I actually hope I'm at the bottom of the list wouldn't be accurate and would be defeatist; that said however, if some such there were to happen, it wouldn't bother me in the least because it would tell me that my skills could only improve. That would guarantee a long road of enjoyment and challenge working to "get there", now wouldn't it?

Chris L

I agree with Bruno.
Honing while drunk would definitely make the contest more fun.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I agree with Bruno.
Honing while drunk would definitely make the contest more fun.

I've made the ground rule that alcohol and razors don't mix that well.

I did once study 400 pages of my analog electronics course while drunk, during the 2nd year of my masters. I had 18 bottles of Belgian beer left over from my birthday party. It was dead winter so they were chilly.
I was working through the evening, and suddenly thought that a beer would cheer things up, seeing as it was Christmas, and I was sitting all alone in my attic to prepare for the january exams.
By midnight, the beer was gone and I was at the end of my book.
Surprisingly, the insights I had gotten during the evening stuck.

I do remember that those beers seemed to have conspired to wait with releasing the alcohol in my bloodstream until they were all united.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

A medium-sized +2 for that! You can't take such an important event too seriously

Interestingly, that sentence can mean 2 things, depending on whether 'can't' is used as 'not possible' or 'should not'