Thread: What about a honing contest?

That's why you make it a two part competition. On one hand you have the best edge. On the other hand, you judge how well an edge is based on the equipment used.

The whole point is that allowing variables makes it fun, and allows people to use what they know best.

Another major issue (imo) is that the judges can only judge the edge and not the technique used.
The judges don't care if you can only hone 1 razor per month under a full moon after a week of fasting and meditation, using only a concrete brick. If that razor would have the best edge, you'd win.

The more someone tries to make it 'fair', the less fun it would be imo.

I think that this idea is of particular use to those of us who are medium good at honing (i.e. those of us who can reliably get our razors sharp for ourselves, but have yet to have a razor evaluated by a peer as an excellent edge). The expert honemeisters don't really need the feedback that much (since their customers probably do that), and the newbie honers are just trying to get a shavable edge without dwindling the razor down to a toothpick with so much honing.

I know that I'm entering this (either as a contest or as an evaluation exercise) simply to get the feedback...I really couldn't care less where I place or if I won something - for me, the information I'll get is worth the price of admission...anything esle I get from this is strickly bonus.

Thanks for putting this together, Bart! Much appreciate!

Mark

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

sorry it does matter.
just try this.
take 2 same blades and only use 1 st one belgian hone and on second one use norton 4/8k
end check the result you will see it does matter.
Same person does exact skiils and spend same time but results are different ??

If you're insinuating that the Norton edge would not be quite as good as the coticule edge, then with that logic, wouldn't the honer that used the Norton stone potentially get feedback from the judges that his edge was shavable, honed well, but that it needed "something"? A slightly higher grit polishing stone perhaps? Wouldn't that person find benefit in such feedback?

Originally Posted by Milton Man

I know that I'm entering this (either as a contest or as an evaluation exercise) simply to get the feedback...I really couldn't care less where I place or if I won something - for me, the information I'll get is worth the price of admission...anything esle I get from this is strickly bonus.

My sentiments EXACTLY, Mark. I agree with you 100%.

Chris L

Also if you allow different people to use different materials, it could give you very interesting results.
for example, the organizer could publish a list of all the results, with the method / materials used to hone the razor, but without the names of the honers.

This would give use an idea of how different stones compare to each other.
I know that this is hardly a true scientific test, but it could be one of the nice outcomes of this contest, and to be honest, this would come the closest to a double blind comparative study that I have seen so far.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Also if you allow different people to use different materials, it could give you very interesting results.
for example, the organizer could publish a list of all the results, with the method / materials used to hone the razor, but without the names of the honers.

This would give use an idea of how different stones compare to each other.
I know that this is hardly a true scientific test, but it could be one of the nice outcomes of this contest, and to be honest, this would come the closest to a double blind comparative study that I have seen so far.

I think that would be a lengthy and informative discussion.

I would enter such a contest. I do think that the entries should be double-blind by number before they get to the judges so there is no possibility of bias.

Originally Posted by Howard

I would enter such a contest. I do think that the entries should be double-blind by number before they get to the judges so there is no possibility of bias.

That is a good idea. Going by Bart's method of using the same prep setup, soap, brush, lather, etcetera..... and what hi_bud_gl said the real deal would be for all the participants to have the same double arrow razors and 1 Norton 4/8 hone and that is it.

A synthetic hone that most are familiar with would exclude the variations in natural stones and no one would have the advantage of having say a complete series of Shaptons up to 30K.

Originally Posted by JimmyH-AD

That is a good idea. Going by Bart's method of using the same prep setup, soap, brush, lather, etcetera..... and what hi_bud_gl said the real deal would be for all the participants to have the same double arrow razors and 1 Norton 4/8 hone and that is it.

The test would be double blind. Only the administraotr would know which razor was hones by whom.
Everybody gets the same razor.
But how you hone it would be up to you. The objective is not to compare people's skill with a given stone, but how sharp / smooth they can make a razor.

And as I explained in the other thread, this way the admin could compose a list of all razors, their score and the honing method, which would be interesting to compare honing methods.

Originally Posted by Chris L

If you're insinuating that the Norton edge would not be quite as good as the coticule edge, then with that logic, wouldn't the honer that used the Norton stone potentially get feedback from the judges that his edge was shavable, honed well, but that it needed "something"? A slightly higher grit polishing stone perhaps? Wouldn't that person find benefit in such feedback?



My sentiments EXACTLY, Mark. I agree with you 100%.

Chris L

Chris L My understanding is this -name of this topic"What about a honing contest?"
Now if name was ""learning contest i would be agree with you 100%
What you saying above i think most honers can find without spending 35 to enter this contest.just read posts in the form.
i know you are not newbee and that is hurts.