Thread: Opinions wanted: Testing Protocol for Dorko 7 Day Set.

[ This thread will reference the Dorko Seven Day Set written about here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...7-day-set.html ]

Glen has beautifully restored and honed this set with seven different honing techniques, listed in detail in the thread referenced above. This post is to get my thoughts out loud about how I intend to shave with them, what I'll look for and most importantly to get the opinions of those of you who have LOTS more experience with this than I do.

As fun as this should be, I must admit to a bit of trepidation; I feel like the guy who's deaf in one ear being asked to give feedback on 7 different high-end audio systems. Nevertheless, it is what it is, and with some guidance for you folks, we shoud have some fun, and get some results that might approach "meaningful".

Intent
It's my intention to limit every variable possible in order to focus on the honing alone. The prep and the shaves will be the same every day.

The Shaving Procedure:

I'll be doing cold-water shaves, with face-lathered MWF right after a shower. Even though each individual shave might be better if I take more time with prep, and steam my face with a hot towel, etc., I'm concerned that inconsistencies in repeating elaborate prep procedures will introduce more variable into the test than I'm comfortable with. Besides, since it's already high summer here in Fort Worth, it's not going to be anything but a pleasure to do some cold-water shaving.

The shaves will be two-pass shaves; one pass with the grain, the final pass XTG/ATG as my face dictates. Reasoning: It's what I usually do.

The Protocol

At this point I'm thinking I need to do three weeks of testing. Each razor, in order, three times total.
Reasoning: The first 7 days I'm going to be making very general observations, since I've never shaved with any razors finished as Glen has finished these. That sadist intentionally didn't hone any of them according to my normal honing routine. So, the first week it's going to be all I can do to babble anything more than "ooohh, that's smoooth".

The idea is that as I get more familiar with each of them (and all of them as a set), by the end of 21 days I'll be able to make better informed judgments about the merits of each.

Strop or No-Strop
Although I always strop between shaves, I'm thinking these should NOT be stropped during this test period. I understand that there is the risk that each succesive shave on each razor may be "less good" than the previous with that razor, but to my mind, stropping these introduces another variable into the mix. It seems to me that regardless of the merits of each razor from one shave to the next, all that matters it the merits of each in it's relationship to all the others. Comments on this, please.

So, exactly what should I be looking for?

So far I have:
1) Sharp
2) Smooth
3) [Your
4) input
5) here.]

That's it, folks. Please comment early and often, let me know what you think. Let's have some fun.[1]


[1] And if you could figure out how to help me "like best" the razor honed with the least expensive stones, that'd be a huge plus...

Don't strop for the first shave, since they are ready to roll, but I would strop leather between the shaves just to keep any micro-corrosion from the edges...JMHO and how I test for myself...
You already have the right idea for the prep being the same everytime... This is going to be fun

Comfort of shave. Doesn't matter how smooth it feels, if it hurts.

I would definitely strop between shaves. The barber manual says, and so does the general consensus to always strop between shaves. Not fair to the razor if you don't IMHO. Also, take notes. Don't depend on memory. Neat project you have going and I'm looking forward to your shaving impressions on the different razors in the set.

# 3 should be "Amount of magic". These honemeisters have that last little bit of "magic" (It's the only way I know to describe it) that they somehow bring out of blades. Part of it is how the steel and stones work together & the other part is the simple skill that they have acquired...

Originally Posted by mbaglio100

[since it's already high summer here in Fort Worth, it's not going to be anything but a pleasure to do some cold-water shaving.

[/SIZE]

I wish it was summer here. We got snow today

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Don't strop for the first shave, since they are ready to roll, but I would strop leather between the shaves just to keep any micro-corrosion from the edges...

Glen, are you recommending the full 25-linen / 50-leather as per your usual instructions, or just a low-count stropping on leather only- for this test?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I would definitely strop between shaves. The barber manual says, and so does the general consensus to always strop between shaves. Not fair to the razor if you don't IMHO. Also, take notes. Don't depend on memory. Neat project you have going and I'm looking forward to your shaving impressions on the different razors in the set.

+1. If you don't strop, you'll quickly have 7 dull razors to compare.

But if you strop, and they all become similar as a result, you'll have an answer:

. . . In the long run, it doesn't matter what finishing stone is used.

Charles

Originally Posted by mbaglio100

Glen, are you recommending the full 25-linen / 50-leather as per your usual instructions, or just a low-count stropping on leather only- for this test?

When I test a "Stones" impact on an edge I don't use linen, now keep in mind this is on a limited basis, if the test runs longer then yes I add the linen back in.. Yes yes I know I am weird LOL but used with intent the linen component can add a bit of umphh to an edge...
You might also not read anything into that statement at all and just strop normally between shaves like you always do to keep everything equal since that is best done by following your normal routine

I have learned a bit in the last year about the effect of stropping, I have had quite a few of the guys sending blades they had honed to me for evaluation, and I learned that the shave was one feeling when I shaved with their edge stropped by them and slightly more comfortable to my face on the second shave stropped by me.. So my attitude shifted a bit that stropping is a bit more important then we sometimes give it credit for and perhaps is the final part of tweaking the edge to each of our faces

I love this test. Glen was kind enough to check one of my edges and has helped me alot with my honing and stroping and Im learning that the stroping really is making a difference as I get better at it. Im trying to sponge up all I can when you guys talk of honing so the next 21 days is going to be long wait!

Glenn C