Beard Prep and Edge Retention Experiment
Following on from this thread, I am going to do an experiment to determine whether, for me, increased beard prep influences the practical life of Bengall razors between honing.
The experiment will be conducted as follows:
1. Equipment
(a) Four Bengall razors of similar era of manufacture, grind, size, and hone wear;
(b) TSD Vanilla Burbon shave soap;
(c) Mason Pearson Badger Brush;
(d) Kangaroo Leather strop;
(e) Towel (for hot towel treatment on non-normative prep treatment)
(f) Electronic Metronome
2. Method
All Bengall razors will be initially honed to have as similar shaving edge as possible. This will be done in an ad-hoc fashion as I do not have microscopes etc.
Two Bengall razors will be chosen at random (using a suitable randomisation technique) for the control group (normal, minimal prep). The remaining two will be added to the treatment group (non-normal, increased prep). Pairs of razors will be labelled as either control or treatment on the scales using identically sized labels. Additionally, each razor in each group shall be labelled as either head or face.
I have been unable to think up a way to blind myself as to what group each set of razors belongs. However, my renowned objectivity and strength of character should be adequate protection against any alleged treatment bias. :D
Each group (normal and non-normal prep) of razors shall be used on a daily basis to shave my head and face (as per labels on the razors) for the period of 6 consecutive days. On the seventh day I shall rest (my face and head). The following 6 days' shaves post-rest shall be done using the other prep type, and so on. This shall be done so as to minimise the influence of the previous set of days' shaves (ie to minimise any residual treatment effects). The starting treatment shall be randomly chosen using a suitable randomisation technique (details in paper to follow.... lol!)
All practical aspects of the shave, besides beard prep, will be held as constant as is feasible. Same soap, same strop, same brush etc.. In terms of stropping, each razor shall receive 30 laps on kangaroo leather in as similar a fashion as possible. Lather shall be consistently made. I have been at the shaving caper long enough now that most aspects of my shave routine are fairly homogenous from shave to shave, and any variance should be randomly partitioned in terms of beard prep treatments.
In the event that I impart a nick or cut to my person during the experiment, I will endeavour to impart a similar nick or cut as soon as is possible to my person during a shave of the opposite beard prep treatment :D Seriously, if this happens I will record the day of the shaving sequence, stop the experiment for an amount of time adequate for healing, and resume thereafter. A similar amount of stoppage time will be applied to the other treatment sequence that follows.
In all cases a WTG and an ATG pass shall be defined as a "shave" for the face, and a "north to south" single pass shall be defined as a "shave" for the head. The number of strokes taken to shave will most likely vary on a shave-to-shave basis, but due to the amount of experience I have, this variation should only contribute a small amount compared to any variation attributable to the treatment under consideration, if in fact the treatment has any effect.
A pilot of non-normal treatment shaving using two other razors shall be undertaken for a period of 6 days prior to the commencement of the experiment to habituate myself with the foreign prep regime, which should eliminate any variation attributable to unfamiliarity with the new prep routine.
2.1 Beard Prep Treatment Methodology
(a) Normal Beard Prep
The normal beard prep treatment shall consist of my normal beard prep regime. Namely, two splashes of hot water (regulated to a consistent temperature by my solar hot water system with electrical booster on overcast days) to the shaving area (head or face), and a regulated application of lather to the entire area which is allowed to sit during the 30 stropping laps (the timing of which will be regulated to be as consistent as possible across shaves using my innate stropping skills and the use of an electronic metronome for cadence). Post stropping, another layer of regulated lather shall be applied to the shaving surface for the purposes of lubrication.
(b) Non-normal Beard Prep
The non-normal beard prep treatment shall consist of the following, in the order presented:
(i) Facial (or head) cleansing using Clinique for Men facial (or head) cleanser;
(ii) Two splashes of hot water (at regulated temperature) to the shaving surface;
(iii) A hot towel treatment to the shaving surface of no shorter than 1 minutes duration (towel at regulated temperature);
(iv) Prep as per normal treatment.
The experiment shall be carried out for as long as the edges continue to give decent shaves. If it turns out that increased prep makes the edges last longer, the experiment will continue under identical conditions to ascertain by how much longer the edges last, with two other razors substituted for the normal treatment shaves.
I will report back on a regular basis to this thread any observations made during the experiment.
James.
