Originally Posted by
Bart
I'll be the one to disagree then.
For the sake of a theoretical example, ask 10 guys to shave with 10 razors within the 5/8 - 6/8 range, all honed to meet at least a minimal standard of shavereadiness. Ask them to order the edges according to preference. I guarantee you they will all favor the same edges. I also guarantee you those will be the sharpest edges.
Many of us shave with lesser blades, but give a guy the means and the knowledge to put a better edge on his razor, he will never look back.
The variance in honing is in how a given blade responds to a chosen hone. Different razors may need different approaches, when it comes to put the ultimate edge on them. It guess it takes a tremendous amount of experience for knowing how an unknown razor will respond and how to proceed. Luckily, most of us hone our own herd, so we have time to get to know them individually, and find out what they prefer.
I regularly meet up with a few fellow straight shavers. Because of a beautiful old barber chair (I know we're weird) we recently shaved each other's faces. I had honed up 4 razors for that purpose in the afternoon prior to the big shave night, but wasn't able to test shave them, because I didn't want to miss the fun at night. The razors all received the same treatment, with the same intermediate tests, equal number of strokes. After the shave sessions, the wifes (also present) commented on who got the best shave, which wasn't too difficult, because the differences were obvious enough. I have assessed the razors we used with true shave tests during the week following our big shave night. Not surprisingly, the guy that got the best shave, also had the sharpest edge. And the unlucky fellow that went home with a slight stubble on his chin and a nick near his adam's apple, had the least sharp razor. On my own face, on known territory I could manage to get a decent shave form it, but it was hard work and not very comfortable.
It was an experience that in the end completely confirmed my conviction that what we call a superior edge, is a fairly objective notion. How to get it, is often an elusive activity, at least to me it is. It would be easy to say it's the razor, and even easier to say it's my skin, and come here to SRP to post about how my skin likes razor A and dislikes razor B. And if such reasoning makes some of the members feel better about themselves, by all means that's what's a forum is all about, isn't it? But for me personnally, I'm pretty sure it all comes down to my honing skills, which I would like to improve.
I have not the least bit of interest in a "who has the sharpest blade" contest. Anyone with a hone, a CrO strop and few decent razors to try can turn up with a wicked edge that lasts a shave or two, maybe three.
It's the finer points in learning how to hone a razor, that I'm after. Why does my Bartmann takes such a wonderfully sharp and lasting edge? Why does my Dovo needs to be honed with two layers of tape, once the initial bevel is set, to take that same wonderful edge, although it doesn't last as long. How am I going to approach my "Eclipse" wedge, once I find time for restoring it?
There's a ton of valuable information burried deep in SRP's thread archive. There's an even bigger amount of knowledge present in the minds of many members that no longer actively follow the forum. I can't possibly reinvent the wheel for every question I pose myself regarding hones and honing (although I like reinventing wheels). I just wish there was a better flow of knowledge, coming from people I could trust to have the right credentials. Instead of wondering everytime I 'm unsuccesfull in trying to follow an advice offered in a thread, whether it is me missing something, or if it's just plain wrong advice.
Bart.