Thread: Ideas and Suggestions for SEM honing and stropping research experiment

Originally Posted by Bart

This means: a new strop must be used, without any residue of pumice stone, or even CrO contamination. Also, in all respect, stropping does rely on a certain skillfulness.

Fourth: is it worth considering bringing a razor professional such as Glen or Lynn to the scene to cooperate with Rosscollins3 on this.

I'm not sure that it's worth getting too fanatical about this. We're trying to understand what's happening in our real-world shaving after all, and if we try to go for some sort of theoretically pure results we may miss what's really happening in our bathrooms.

For example it may be that "strop contamination" is actually critical for proper strop function. Maybe the little bits of oxide that are coming off the razor as it rusts are acting as an abrasive that keeps the razor sharp. The guys that are reporting year-long edge lives are typically using vintage strops after all.

Originally Posted by mparker762

For example it may be that "strop contamination" is actually critical for proper strop function. Maybe the little bits of oxide that are coming off the razor as it rusts are acting as an abrasive that keeps the razor sharp. The guys that are reporting year-long edge lives are typically using vintage strops after all.

this would be easy to add to the experiment.. just get a clean strop and a normal everyday use strop... being too fanatical about this is what will get us closer to a real world understanding... account for all of the variables we can and we get closer to the real relationships.

BTW, are you guys going to call for razors or strops to be loaned for this experiment?

Originally Posted by Del1r1um

are you guys going to call for razors or strops to be loaned for this experiment?

The answer is, probably eventually. Nothing is final yet, anything is in the air.

I have 8 Double Arrows, that I use for conducting honing experiments. I can confirm that those razors take excellent edges and that they all respond very similar to a given treatment (they were ordered at once, so they likely come form the same batch.)
I happily contribute them for the experiment, if that would be considered beneficial. Glen or Lynn, or whomever we see fit of preparing them, could set them up and send them to RossCollins3. He may remove the scales, by cutting them off (they need rescaling anyway).

I 'm also in possession of a few straps of horse leather, purchased from Keith (HandAmerican) and still unused. I'm willing to turn them into a hanging strop and a paddle strop, and I have no problem for lending them out.

I am also willing to fund part of the costs involved with these experiments. I do think that the people involved should volunteer their time, but for all other costs, I believe we could raise some funds and I would be happy to contribute.

Bart.

Originally Posted by Lynn

I love it when the "Art" meets the "Science".

I always respect what both teach me.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Thanks,
Lynn

Originally Posted by rosscollins3

I believe that a professional would have to either volunteer their time or we would have to compensate them for it.

Lynn is the founder of StraightRazorPlace and the godfather of the current straight razor revival. He hones and strops dozens of razors daily (correct me if I'm wrong, Lynn).
If there's anyone that could setup razors for this experiment without any discussion about it being conducted properly, it is going to be Lynn.

Bart.

I think that someone should contact Dovo and Thiers-Issard to ask them if they would like to sponsor some of this work, given the huge impact it could have. Ross, when you have formalized your proposal and experiment design, why don't you send it around to the manufacturers?

Seems to me that in our enthusiasm for the proposed experiment we are putting a lot of weight on Ross. I think that keeping it simple to begin with might be the best policy. The more elaborate we make it the more time it will take to make it happen and the less likely it will happen at all.

If it does happen and if Ross is willing the experiment could be expanded with donations of willing honemiesters and/or vendors. For now Ross graciously volunteered to take a few before and after photos. Maybe leaving it at that to begin with would be a good idea.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I think that keeping it simple to begin with might be the best policy. The more elaborate we make it the more time it will take to make it happen and the less likely it will happen at all.

Thanks for the thought Jimmy. I think that while we're in the brainstorming phase It can't hurt to have more Ideas than necessary. We can always subtract things half way through, but it makes it difficult to add them once things are underway.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

If it does happen, and if Ross is willing, the experiment could be expanded with donations of willing honemiesters and/or vendors. For now Ross graciously volunteered to take a few before and after photos. Maybe leaving it at that to begin with would be a good idea.

I plan on doing a full scale report Jimmy, the photos are just good visuals to get the message across. I know some people are anxious about just seeing more pictures, but I plan on doing it all and releasing it all at once so patience will be a virtue here. I'm an engineering student working at a small business with a few experts in metallurgy. So the technical report part is certainly down my ally and resources are readily available, from documents to advice from experts.

RC

If I can help let me know, also Ross where are you located that might help some with planning....

I know this is a very specific idea, but at this stage we seem to be coming up with all possible comparisons.

I would love to see the actual "dulling" effect that a coticule can have on an edge. Or given that the BBW and coti are garnet based, how do edges from each compare.

Or how does a bevel set on a coticule(Bart) compare to one set on more traditional stones.