Thread: "TRY BEFORE YOU BUY" idea.

Originally Posted by Flanny

I am interested in why some think it's not a good idea. What would be the draw backs that you see to this?

I love the idea, I'd actually thought about starting something like it up once I'm more established. Even thought of starting a thread for each kit being sent out to track the process and get status reports on each persons learning process with each kit.

My guess for the no votes is mainly worries about loaning stuff to someone that you barely know, but if it's something like one of Tony's seconds and a honed Wapi it wouldn't be too big of a deal, And I think as they would/already are coming to us for advice they'd quickly grasp the gentlemanliness of the forum and feel compelled to return it.

Edit: if not we'll just post their email address and sign them up to a bunch of spam links. (Did I say that?)

The drawback I see would be that such a set would have to be cleaned and honed each time the newbie is finished.

The razor and srop have to endure newbie mistakes every day, which means badly nicked strops, dings against the sink or the fawcet, sloppy stropping ...
And by the time they would start to make progress, it gets sent to another newbie to make the same mistakes all over.

The good thing with paying your own stuff is that it motivates you to keep it clean and to think about it beforehand instead of deciding on a whim.
And if you decide it is not for you, you can sell your stuff here to another newbie.

Okay, since it was asked....the drawbacks. I did this two years ago in December. I offered a complete kit ready to go and had about 8 immediate responses. The first fellow on the list actually got a set offered to him by another SRP member at the same time so the set was passed on to someone else on the list but I don't remember which guy as so many responses came it at once. I e-mailed everyone on the list but no replies. The set was never seen again <g>

I posted followups a few times but the culprit never surfaced and probably was not a repeat user of SRP. I am an optomist though so am glad to send off another strop if someone wants to handle this loaner idea.

I do think caution is needed in setting criteria as to how this is dished out. Free things, even on loan tend to attract the wrong crowd. on last Springs giveaway I had 8 strops to give away. Four of the winners had 5 posts or less and never even came back to claim their prizes. I gave the strop to other newbies over the next weeks.

I knoiw our long term guys would never do this but often events like this are cross promoted on other boards that don't have our family atmosphere.

Well, you asked....

Tony

Originally Posted by Bruno

The razor and srop have to endure newbie mistakes every day, which means badly nicked strops.

I hadn't thought of that, thankfully with due diligence I haven't done that yet *knock wood and sacrifices a cat to the razor gods* but I think if we get enough people on board, each taking responsibility of one full kit if wouldn't be a horrible endurance on anybody... and of course each kit doesn't have to have a 24 hour turnaround, it could be made ready at leisure.

ETA (Edited to add:) you could say that only one rehone or such would be given per kit or some such to make people a bit more careful.

Double edit: *sigh* I'm going to miss my cat.

I think it is a great idea, provided human nature doesn't get the best of it. I know of no way to help guarentee this, aside from a reasonable security deposit which you are already planning on. I would like to add that you should try and get information from some of the vendors here (printed) to include as well, at least those who are helping out with the venture. I hope this idea takes off, and props to you for ponying up for the man-hours required to make this work!

D'oh! I didn't even notice that he mentioned the deposit.

I say no for a few reasons.

1) razors can be easily ruined and who will correct that?
2) when you own the razor you are more inclined to stick with it as you have laid out the money!
3) people like different size razors.
4) health issues, people will not feel comfortable using razors that someone else has just used.

I just may be a cynic, but I think this has the potential to be a powder keg. Imagine that I'm a newbie, ask you for the kit, give you my deposit. I proceed to ruin the strop (and razor), copy the DVD, let the razor rust to hell, and then at the end send it back to you. You see the condition of the razor and strop, and say that you're not refunding his deposit (either at all or in part). That's where the wars start.

Also, the other thing I would caution against is stupid frivolous lawsuits - I get the razor, proceed to give myself such a good cut it requires stiches, and then I go back and sue you for providing me with a dangerous instrument without a thousand-and-three warning labels. I think that while this scenario is unlikely, the potential does exist, and without insurance, it could be a very costly generous act.

The third scenario is that I give you my deposit, you send me the kit, and I claim I never received it...now what? Do I get my money back? Can you prove that I'm lying?

Of course, I'm seeing the downside of things.

Mark