Thread: Am I seeing SRP wrong?

FYI, the demonstration is over, and no new data will be compiled.

Originally Posted by MCFLY49

This concludes the demonstration on how differences of opinion are handled on SRP. I was told to get out twice, before an intelligent, neutral thinking post was made. Thanks tekbow, and thanks to everyone else for all of your input. Have a nice shave!!!

There were more than a few reasonable replies that you chose to address combatitively. Don't be surprised that you received testy replies to your own testy statements.

Originally Posted by MCFLY49

FYI, the demonstration is over, and no new data will be compiled.

True that.

Originally Posted by MCFLY49

Can you direct me to a thread that a mod/mentors tells a beginner "Go get a hone and give it a shot, I bet you get the hang of it pretty quick"? I highly doubt it.

I've posted that, but unfortunately right now I have 9514 posts and not 23 like you, so it's a lot of time and effort to go and find it. You search through my posts and you'll find it. But the only times I've posted it have been when it's clear that the member is dead set on taking the really hard path and learning to hone and shave at the same time. And I've examined more than enough edges from inexperienced honers to know that they are doing themselves a great disservice, but some people are more strongheaded than smart and would do whatever they've decided they'll do.

To adress the problem you have with the HHT again I'll draw from my experience actually helping beginners. Several years ago Bart wrote the most comprehensive article on that in the library/wiki, and it's still a very good resource, to the extent that it was copied over to many other shaving forum. But the many different hairs on my body interact with the exact same razor's edge in vastly different way, so that 'scale' in the article is not absolute. And the exact two things that make HHT useless for beginners is the things that they use it for - (1) it's not a simple cut/doesn't cut test (2) it has to be calibrated over number of edges.
Now if they spend one tenth of the effort they put in obsessing with HHT into researching the person they trust with their first razor, get an edge that has been tested by a person with the ability to know good from bad, and then trust that person then they'll be golden and will have gotten rid of a lot of uncertainty.

I'm new. I'm excited. I want to try everything. I even bought a set of Nortons (220/1000, 4000/8000, lapping stone, prep stone). Tried to hone once, realized - "This is way harder than it looks" and put the stones down until such time as I can commit to learning properly with a mentor.

Speaking of mentors, you can not ask for a better place to find to help someone new learn this artful skill of straight razor shaving. I have never met a better class of diverse, generous, and just plain good people. From Lynn Abrahms through various vendors through Mentors through Senior members to new folks, I have NEVER found anyone trying to push anything (buy this only from him, buy that from this vendor).

I am proud to be a member of such a positive functioning group. SRP...is me!

I cannot imagine having learned what I know and gained the skills I have without SRP. In the past, you probably learned from you father, but guess what? My father uses a Bic disposable. I'm pretty sure he isn't going to teach me anything about shaving, stropping, restoring, honing, building a great lather or any other aspect of this.

So enter SRP. The people here are trying to guide somebody through the learning process to give you the highest probablility that you will stick with it and become successful - including encouragement when you get frustrated.

If you want to jump in and hone, jump in and hone. But how will you gauge the results you got when you can't even shave successfully yet? And this isn't to say some people are not quick learners and such. Maybe it will all come together for them quicker than others. But that is not everybody. And where that is the case we state YMMV.

So I think the learning opportunities here are understated if anything.

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion so heres mine...I come to this site everyday for so many reasons. I have yet to find a site on the net that has as many helpful people as this one. I learned to hone while I learned to use a straight and yes, I experienced all the problems that so many here encourage one to avoid and for good reason. But I have yet to read anyone saying dont go buy hones and learn to do it yourself..what I do hear and suggest myself is to get get a razor honed by someone who knows so that you have a benchmark to start within both shaving and honing so to avoid that agravation and possibly give up. The members here are great, to the point that even though I figured I had got the honing down to a satisfactory level for me but in a post I mentioned that I had never had a proffesionally honed razor to comare to. I had a well respected member here PM me and offer for me to send him one of my razors for him to test and hone so that I would have that comparison..he did it at no cost to me other than the postage to get the razor to him (I'm sure this member knows who he is and again...many thanks! ) That is what this forum is about and what the members here will do to help. In turn I have paid it forward and honed a few razors for members and even had them to my home to watch while I did it so they have a general idea. In short, if it wasn't for this site I probably would have given up and never learned to hone. It was this site that taught me all I know today and for what I continue to learn everyday from many helpful members who even though I've never met them I consider my friends. So thankyou to SRP and all of its valued members for all that you do

As a newbie, I oftern com e here to browse the wiki, or pick brains. Yes, I am one of the ones who will ask the same question just to get a slightly different twist on it, and no I have never been made to feel stupid or in any way undervalued. I'm members of a few other forums (for different hobbies, etc) and there seems to be less elitism here than other sites I could mention.

Keep up the good work fellas (and ladies)

Iain.

p.s. I actually feel "mentored" on here. People telling me to take my time and get things right. It's a craft after all. Put in the efford and ye shall reap the facial hair.

Hmm, I have found SRP very helpful, and am glad that they described honing the way they do. I have done woodcarving for quite a while, and figured that sharpening a razor wouldn't be that different, and that I had all the tools I would need to do it. After reading some of the advice here, I realize that my 6000 grit ceramic stone might not be fine enough, and for that I am thankful that I didn't dull a razor on it before getting better equipment. Once I get the hones, I will probably pick up an antique shop razor and try my hand, using the advice I have found on this site.
Sorry if you have had a different experience. So far, I am happy to be here.

Do you(MCFLY49) not realize that most of the responses here are from people with thousands and thousands of posts, many of which i've seen, dedicated to helping people with specific problems? It sounds like you are/or were gung ho on learning to hone and didn't like hearing that you should learn to shave first with a blade you know is shave ready before moving on to hone. The most common thing I can see from your post is that you didn't feel like taking the advice to be patient so that you wont get frustrated. You can't learn if you aren't willing to listen.


P.S. If no one suggests learning to hone why is the honing forum usually one of the busiest forums?