What about a honing contest?
ChrisL recently started a thread about honing skills certification and relating topics.
A lot of different visions surfaced in the subsequent postings, making it clear that a honemeister accreditation program won't be for anytime soon.
But apart from all that heavy contemplation, I thought it would be a fun idea to organize a good old-fashioned contest. A honing contest.

I'm not sure how many of you would be interested in such endeavor, and I'm even more unsure if the moderators find such idea acceptable, here on SRP. The only way to find out, is to start a thread, so here it goes.

I would like to know how many of you would consider entering such a contest. Please post, if you do.
In the mean time, I submit for revision, the following contest rules:

Rules:
1. Every contender pays an entrance fee. The amount yet to be decided.
2. The contest executor holds a list of contenders. He assigns a unique number to each contender. He send to each contender a brand new and quality approved Double Arrow Razor, coded with the appropriate number. (The competition razor could also be a Dovo or a TI, if one of them is willing to cut us an awesome deal on a group buy of entery level razors for the sake of sponsoring the worlds single razor honing contest)
3. The contender hones the razor. He oils the blade to prevent corrosion, and sends it back to the executor.
4. The executor divides the razors into 4 groups and sends each jury member one group.
5. The jury consists of 4 experienced straight razor shavers. They shave with each razor, and rate it a score, based on a standardized razor performance sheet. The groups are swapped 3 times, so that each razor is assessed by each member of the jury. (This also brings the durability of the edge a bit into account)
6. Each contender receives his razor back, together with its score sheet, and its ranking in the total group.
7. Only the THREE highest ranking razors will be made public.
8. The winners receive a very nice price, payed with the profits coming from the enterance fees (minus razor and shipment costs) and the willingness of the Contest Sponsors (Think Dovo, TI, Ardennes Coticule, etcetera) to come up with something special. And of course also the prestigious "SRP Honing Contest 2009" trophy.
9. The members of the jury are free to enter their own submission, but those razors remain outside the official competition.

Any critique is much welcome,
Bart.