Thread: "Shave Ready" in the Classifieds

I think that's when the spiritual honing pilgrimage must begin. Then you have to stand outside Lynn's door for three days to prove you really want to learn!

Y'know Blade Wielder got me thinking, I don't pretend to be a honemiester but I have shaved with enough razors honed by the celebrated honers to know a good one when I shave with it. So I will volunteer to be the official shave ready tester.

Send the razor and a small gratuity and I will give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. I keep the razor on file here in case any SRP committee wants to come in at a later date and verify my conclusions. Don't thank me, it is the least that I can do to relieve my fellow forum members of this impasse that needs to be broken.

outstanding! getting paid to steal razors that victims send you voluntarily.

Originally Posted by Quick

outstanding! getting paid to steal razors that victims send you voluntarily.

It is a tough job but somebody has to do it.

Opinions vary on the definition of "Shave Ready" As far as having them board certified, it would be nice, but then again, you have to consider shipping the items back and forth. Taking into account our members are worldwide, it can be costly. I've bought razors off the classifieds and have recieved some that needed touching up, but no biggie. I guess the biggest problem I had was with an X member who sold me a Dubl Duck Goldedge with a nick in it. When I contacte him, He said he never shaved with it, and that was that. Lynn Abrams was nice enough to fix it for me. As they say, Buyer Beware...

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

It is a tough job but somebody has to do it.

I am sorry, but this position has been already filled by me. If you want to be certified as a certificator (or certifier) please send me a complete set of 140 razors (14 different grinds on Henckel's scale and 10 different sizes between 3/8 and 10/8 of each grind) which you have evaluated as shave-ready.
I will proceed to verify the validity of your claim and if in fact they are all shave ready you will be bestowed the title of junior certificator, meaning that you have the ability to recognize a shave ready razor. This title does not allow you to extend such certification to other applicants, but you would be allowed to pass the requirements to them along with my address to send their set.
In case some of the razors do not pass the certification process you shall be allowed to reapply up to three additional times by submitting 7 razors of each grind+size that has failed. The number seven is to insure beyond any reasonable statistical doubt that your initial failure has been fuly rectified.

And, of course, anybody who wants a shave-ready certified razor can purchase one from the chief certificator (me) at a reasonable fee.
The availability may be limited and will depend on the amount of junior certificator applicants. So, be sure to use the PM system to inquire for my paypal address and place your orders early.

I personally can't understand any motivation to sell a razor that I haven't shaved with. My first razor was a Dovo Classic Special. Being the independent sort I am, I figured I'd buy a DMT D8EE, a linen strop, and a leather strop, and jump in with both feet. It took me a while to figure out that there was a big difference between barely cutting a hanging hair on a single portion of the blade and being shave ready.

Now that I hone all of my own razors and they provide me with a close, comfortable shave, I'm okay with saying that a razor I sell is "Shave Ready" because in every case, I have been shaving with it, and before I sell a razor I'll touch it up, then shave with it again to make sure that I personally can stand to shave with it.

As a side note, in a month or so after my birthday when I have a little extra cash, I'd love to send a razor to a reputable honemeister for a review...

I think all of this certification stuff is adding complexity where it isn't needed. A simple statement such as, " I prepared this razor for shaving and deem it shave ready." Or conversely, "I have not prepared this razor for shaving." And last, "Sold as a collectible, not for shaving." These three sentences would cover all instances.

I liken this to washing a car. What person A, who has a daily driver, considers clean, is far from what person B, who shows his car, considers clean.

BTW, I've got a green box! Mousing over it reveals: "GeauxLSU is on a distinguished road."

Originally Posted by GeauxLSU

BTW, I've got a green box! Mousing over it reveals: "GeauxLSU is on a distinguished road."

There is currently great debate on what those green boxes mean

It's safe to say that if it was a RED box there would be some notation like "GeauxLSU is scum and on the road to hell".

Perhaps the solution to this is to find a method of testing the blade that is objective and can be done by seller and buyer that doesn't rely on shaving. The shave test is the ultimate one, but that test is only useful to a newcomer if it is passed. If the test fails (a bad shave) it doesn't pinpoint the problem (could be poor sharpness, could be bad technique.)

Has anyone experimented with the edge tester sold by Razor Edge Sysytems?
http://beast.voltztech.com/~razoredge/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=50
http://beast.voltztech.com/~razoredge/pdf/the_edge_tester.pdf

Assuming the tests don't ruin the edge, any blade scoring 100% could probably be described as shave ready, at least on the most basic level. This method would need to be confirmed and maybe tweaked to our needs.

More importantly, is there an alternative to buying this tester, something that is cheap and widely available yet can still give consistent results?

I recall someone else mentioning the idea of slicing through a bar of soft soap (or something like that) as a way to check for nicks in the blade. That's the kind of alternative I'm thinking of, something of a suitable material that can mimic the Razor Edge Systems' tester.

A plastic Bic biro is one thought, but that is probably much too hard. Anyone got a better suggestion?