Blog Comments

The reason I brought this into the open is that sometimes, people get banned (or have their ads removed or their classifieds permissions revoked etc) as the result of how they interact with us.

For example, I might have done so for the person sending me the above PM. I didn't, because I am a fairly patient man. But suppose I had done so. I would certainly have been in the right. But you also know that as a rule, we don't discuss banning reasons in public (unless the banning was a result for things done in public).

The member then goes someplace else, and makes veiled accusations about how he was banned for not selling things to our mods below market value, etc. And barring us speaking out (which we don't) we can't defend ourselves. A cursory glance would show that the person was indeed banned. Add some carefully chosen snippets of the PM exchange, and voila. Another SRP bashfest can ensue . Even without making the accusation of corruption, we can be made to look like we banned the member out of spite.

In this case, there were no repercussions so I can more easily show an example of the things we get to deal with, and the way they are spun into accusations and bad feelings, and the ease with which such stories could get to live their own life.

I don't really mind the insults even. Insults only say something about the one making them. I have no patience at all with accusations though. This job is hard enough to do without having to deal with baseless accusations as well. Especially because I can maintain perfect integrity and still get smeared. Rather than getting angry about it, I decided to show how this can happen and how there is nothing we can do about it.

I'm sorry, but I don't see the point in putting this out into the open. I understand being a moderator of a forum of this size, including a section where people sell and buy quite many and sometimes quite valuable items, has its difficulties and can be frustrating at times. However, checking the forum and classifieds regularly, I feel I have a fairly good idea who you are talking about, and now I'm wondering why you chose to bring a private discussion out into the open. Not trying to be a smart ass or nothing, just saying it comes with the territory. I can understand your frustration but why the need to share it?

Thank you Bruno for devoting your time and energy here. You're one of the many people here that makes SRP the great place that it is

In theory it is a a great idea, but then you have to worry about people's feeling, etc, like was stated above. I know with so many different razors, things get complicated...you will not use the same system/steps on EVERY razor you hone. There truly is an art to it, and if someone is serious about it, they should try to hone as many different razors as possible. Then there is the problem that certain types of razors give a better shave for one person, than they do for someone else. There's so many variables, I think it would be a fairly complex "test."

Just my 2cents worth

The accreditation was not about how someone hones. It was supposed to involve a panel of testers, who'd shave with razors of which they didn't know who honed them (to keep the test impartial). The razor would be satisfying or not. Based on the total feedback of the various testers, accreditation would be granted or not.

I think it's pretty clear what this forum is about. The expertise and help that's constantly provided absolutely free by all of our members with great experience both over the internet and in person is not matched anywhere else.
We don't require memberships, voluntary contributions, or any purchases of specific equipment - everybody who needs it gets more than enough guidance and help how to get the job done with the equipment they have. I bet there are more people who successfully learn how to hone by just reading the site without ever registering, than those who register and ask questions.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I tried offering testing and certifications of accreditation for a very small fee, but nobody took me up on it. So in my mind, you - all of you - killed the idea by not participating in my very inexpensive (relatively, compared to the revenue you could pull in later) program. So don't blame SRP - blame yourself.

- Master Lee

I'm with hoglahoo; I have Microsoft Publisher and I will "Accreditate, Certify,Test, Promote or make you a Grand Master" in any art or profession you want.
For a small fee, of course.

I worked in a field where " accreditation " was implemented and is sought after. Though good in theory, it quickly became a worthless endeavor. Used as a political hatchet by people who have no idea on how the job really works. Implemented over 10 years ago, it has yet to better the skills of the men and women that it hangs over.
There will always be people who spend their lives telling others how it should be done; based upon good intended theory or written guidelines based on that good intended theory.

If a man wants to shave with a straight razor, then he had better learn how to keep it sharp. I understand a new person entering this art, but after a month or two,learn to sharpen your own razor.
I go to people like Max, Lynn, Glenn,JimmyHad, Sham and others here to learn from them how to maintain my razor. To ask them to hone a razor for me now (6 months into the art) would be an embarrassment.
I would rather grow a beard.

I tried offering testing and certifications of accreditation for a very small fee, but nobody took me up on it. So in my mind, you - all of you - killed the idea by not participating in my very inexpensive (relatively, compared to the revenue you could pull in later) program. So don't blame SRP - blame yourself.

- Master Lee

The honing contest would be an interesting thing. Ultimately it never happened. I think there are only 2 things holding it back:
1) a volunteer to take care of all logistics involved in the double blind test.
2) getting a set of razors which would be used for the contest.

But you're right. I could toss the idea back into the honing forum and see if there is enough interest to get things sorted out.

I'd be interested in following a thread on a honing contest!
Granted, I'm not volunteering for anything--be it honing for a contest or test shaving in one. Rather, I suppose I'm volunteering my interest in reading about it! Perhaps if we got enough interest going, someone may take up the mantle again. It would be fun to follow.
As a side note, I could understand how guys who hone razors as a business may feel uneasy about a honing contest. What about an amateur honing contest? You could limit the entrants to people that only hone for themselves...to have them test their mettle against those the world over! Personally I think it sounds like a fun idea but I fully admit that I would intend to watch from a distance and have no interest in spearheading such an operation...but maybe someone else does?

Nice Blog Bruno,

I have always believed and still do, that the more people capable of honing razors out there the merrier. Whether someone hones for themselves of hones for others, the key is always that the person honing the razor must satisfy themselves first. My door has always been open to help every person that I can make the journey and I am not alone in this. SRP continues to be a place where people can obtain and share the best straight razor information available. It has always been about helping others become successful in learning about this special art and in turn, those folks going on to help others. In my opinion, there is no need for any special recognition or agenda. The preservation of the art and the individual enjoyment of it remains the objective.

Have fun.

IIRC, Bart was one of the main people involved in pushing the initiative. I know he recently mentioned it in a discussion as an example of how we behave badly and how we don't want other people to be recognized as capable of honing a razor. It's interesting, since he also accuses Lynn of influencing honing discussions for his own profit. So on one hand he is still annoyed that we do not want to publicly judge people's honing abilities, and on the other he accuses Lynn of influencing things for profit. Imo those views are incompatible, but what do I know?

Anyway, you are partly right. Bart was fixing up a bunch of Double Arrow razors so that they would all be (near) identical. It was a good idea too, for the purpose of making sure people had the same razor to work with. At that point we had already abandoned the accreditation idea. Instead, we were going to have the first annual honing contest. As you said, it took a while to get it going, and by the time the razors were ready, Bart was no longer a member here, or he was but he had been banned for a while, or something like that. In the end there was noone else volunteering to take care of the logistics involved, and the contest never happened.

The person whose idea it was being another Belgian fellow. Part of what killed it was his plan to furnish, at cost, a large number of Golden Arrows, or maybe it was Wapis never came to fruition. Instead of sending them out to all who volunteered to participate he insisted that he would correct any anomalies in the blades and re-scale them. So it became like Sisyphus perpetually pushing the boulder up the hill. IIRC ? Then again, maybe I'm thinking of a proposed honing contest that was another thing entirely ? Anyway, thanks Bruno, stellar blog post.

I'm on multiple forums myself, I don't care who likes what. But I'm not sure to what extend users in general oerlap and don't care about the politics or don't have a preference at least.

Because another social aspect is also quite natural in communities: pick your team. There usually isn't even a logical reason for picking a team.

Although I'm sure most people here have posted or still post on B&B, The Shave Den, SMF and wherenot, there are on the other hand probably a fair number of people who have distinct dislikes and preferences on which forum they post.

Staying focused on our purpose is essential. We are all about straight razors.
Engaging in politics is a real detriment to SRP. What is the old saying?...
"If you can't say something nice then say nothing at all."

Bruno...thanks for your time. It is much appreciated.

I enjoy the diversity of points of view. Well said Bruno.

You're a good man, Bruno.

Bruno---You be the MAN!!! Thank you for your dedication and your candor. Staying focused to purpose is a reminder to all of us to stay on track. Political correctness, in my humble opinion, is for the birds.

Completely agree! I've been a member on other forums in the past or visited other shaving forums and this is the only one I want to be a part of. The members here are great and its an ongoing joy to be a part of this community and talk to the folks here.