Thread: Honemeister accredidation?

I humbly submit.

Chris L

Chris,

While the idea is sound, I think you were looking at it from the wrong side. If you want to add a meaningful value to the title "Honemeister" then I think it would be better to device a program for aspiring honemeisters to follow.
In my opinion, a true honemeister, worthy of that title, does not only know how to make a given razor sharp. He also possesses the knowledge and experience to guide people about the sort of keenness they require for their particular skin-whiskers combination. He knows how to touch up and maintain an edge. He should also be a stropmeister.
The program to become proficient at all those skills could involve:
-a basic honing clinic: sharpening basics and getting a minty razor shaveready.

-various advanced honing clinics: -ultimate keeness beyond shavereadiness.
-honing with pastes.
-bevel restoration and dealing with edge issues.
-a clinic about the finer points of stropping.
-a theoretical exam (could be organised online)
-a stage period with an an already established honemeister, that ends when that honemeister consideres the pupil ready (or not longer worthy of his time)

I know this isn't going to happen, but I do believe it's the only real way.


Bart.

Bart, what you've put eloquently into words and very well organized I might add is exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about. Of course a recognized honemeister with years of experience wouldn't need any other additional recognition. But what you've described so well in theory sets forth staged levels of achievement that I personally find exciting.

Thank you for responding in that way. Now I can go back to my daydream world of razors when I'm not actually on SRP and add to my "happy place" in thinking about what it would be like if we did actually implement something like you've described here.

Thanks Bart!

Chris L

Once one receives this stamp of accreditation, where does one affix the imprint? Having just honed the razor now does the honer stamp the blade or scales. Is this to be a metal stamp struck with a hammer or merely some cheap rubber unit designed to smear a bit of ink on the unsuspecting? I vote for the Sgt Joe Friday, Jack Webb, Mark IV type stamp. One where you know the goods are good or at least there was no equivocating about the stamp having been struck.

Oh, we might lose a few blades in the process, but at least they will have been sharp.

Bruce, I think the stamp would have to be imprinted on the blade faces by way of a hydraulic press. The imprint would then be painted with a glow in the dark paint consisting mainly of depleted uranium.

There'd be a better way than that?

Chris L

Originally Posted by Bart

Chris,

While the idea is sound, I think you were looking at it from the wrong side. If you want to add a meaningful value to the title "Honemeister" then I think it would be better to device a program for aspiring honemeisters to follow.
In my opinion, a true honemeister, worthy of that title, does not only know how to make a given razor sharp. He also possesses the knowledge and experience to guide people about the sort of keenness they require for their particular skin-whiskers combination. He knows how to touch up and maintain an edge. He should also be a stropmeister.
The program to become proficient at all those skills could involve:
-a basic honing clinic: sharpening basics and getting a minty razor shaveready.

-various advanced honing clinics: -ultimate keeness beyond shavereadiness.
-honing with pastes.
-bevel restoration and dealing with edge issues.
-a clinic about the finer points of stropping.
-a theoretical exam (could be organised online)
-a stage period with an an already established honemeister, that ends when that honemeister consideres the pupil ready (or not longer worthy of his time)

I know this isn't going to happen, but I do believe it's the only real way.


Bart.

That was very well put. Honemiester accreditation aside your program would be perfect for anyone wishing to be accomplished in the fine art of honing razors.

Originally Posted by Bruce

I vote for the Sgt Joe Friday, Jack Webb, Mark IV type stamp.

Hey Bruce, you're showing your age ..... and me too LOL. A fellow has to be on up there to know the stamp you're talking about.

Jimmy,

I figured there'd be only a few of us who would know that, but it sure was an effective image. There was no arguing that the stamp was stamped.

I suppose it would be a bit much for a razor blade.

Originally Posted by Chris L

Honestly Kevin, when I hatched this half baked thought, I did not think the purpose would be either. SRP has had informal peer recognition of honing ability for much longer than I've been around here. My thoughts were with those starting out in the honing process and working to gain some level of publicly recognized achievement. In some forms already mentioned (IF someone hires out their services, their customer's satisfaction is a credit to their abilty or members will send their honed razors to other members for testing and either public or private criticism whichever the honer desires).

Rather than being a community that simply shares an interest in collecting objects, we're a community that has many members that enjoy learning a skill; a skill that improves with practice.

It's not a big deal, it's just a thought that occurred to me and I thought I'd spit it out in a post.

Chris L

Sorry if I sounded harsh. The idea just kinda hit me like a spike in the head. (I didn't read the thread either. nothing wrong with having ideas, like he said_keep 'em coming.
I think we have similar interest of exploring the steel, hones- not only different ones but different ways to use each only we have vastly different approaches. maybe.

It's fun to talk about different goals, problems, gloats, It's all good stuff. Only I can't become enthused about creating divisions. Disagreements, I'm all for those just no true division. I see us all as equals here.
Question and answer is an awesome scenario that works most of the time at SRP. With A video or two- (more than that out there)-then at least you have seen it done. Then one starts by doing. Sorry if I sound obtuse. Every aspect of our art is uniqufied and individualized....it should stay that way without a honing papacy being established.
Is there a barber school that still teaches honed straight shaving?

Originally Posted by Chris L

The imprint would then be painted with a glow in the dark paint consisting mainly of depleted uranium.

Depeleted Uranium doesn't glow in the dark.
That's the point of the 'depleted' in 'depleted Uranium'