Thread: The Grand Experiment

For those that haven't been following this I will be shaving with two alternating razors for the next 30 days or so, one stropping before shaving and the other after as well as before to see if there is any difference in how stropping affects the razors and shaving.

Well here's the particulars. I will be using two TI SRP razors #38 and 39. 38 has had light use and 39 is out of the box. I spent this afternoon honing both razors to perfection and they appear to equally pass all tests and under magnification appear similar. I start Monday morning with 38 getting the before and after honing and 39 getting just the before honing. They will both be stropped on a DD #50 Horsehide strop with 6 passes on the linen and 30 passes on the leather. Each razor will get one days rest between shaves. Shave prep, brush, cream etc will be the same with both razors as will be the time I shave each day.

I'll post weekly updates here and initially give it 30 days with possibly extending it as I go depending on what happens.I understand someone else is doing a similar experiment with a couple of TIs. If anyone has any comments or suggestions feel free to point them out.

I just have one comment. You need to keep the total amount of stropping the same for your experiment to be valid.

For example, If you were doing 20 round trips before and 20 after shaving on one razor, you would need to do 40 on the before only razor. Otherwise you would be ignoring the effect of extra stropping trips.

now why didn't I think of that? Thanks

Since the purpose of this test is to discover the best method for stropping a razor, or the longer shaving one, the stroping passes number should remain as is for both methods. For example, when I strop before/after shaving the total passes are 40, but when I strop before only, I dont compensate with 20+ passes. That's real life use of the razor, so this test should reflect that. We are not trying to discover just the sharpest razor at the end of the test, but the best strop method affecting the razor sharpnes.

So, keep your stropping routine before/after total=60, and before only - 30 passes


Nenad

Originally Posted by superfly

Since the purpose of this test is to discover the best method for stropping a razor, or the longer shaving one, the stroping passes number should remain as is for both methods. For example, when I strop before/after shaving the total passes are 40, but when I strop before only, I dont compensate with 20+ passes. That's real life use of the razor, so this test should reflect that. We are not trying to discover just the sharpest razor at the end of the test, but the best strop method affecting the razor sharpnes.

So, keep your stropping routine before/after total=60, and before only - 30 passes


Nenad

I disagree. The purpose is to see if after stropping does anything, not if more stropping does anything. We know the answer to that.

Basically it should show if you need more pre-shave-stropping without post-shave-stropping than you need pre-shave-stropping with post-shave-stropping right?

you could run the experiment twice, using the two different methods. however, joe, i am thinking that part of the experiment is the variable of rest of the razor's edge - that is, if you strop it 30 times after you shave, what effect does resting it have versus stropping it 30 times after you shave and then stropping it again. im thinking that once the edge is polished up by stropping, more stropping aint gonna help it much. but the experiment originally proposed would test the affect of the resting of the blade's edge, and also test the theory that you need to alternate razors even.

sam

Well time for the weekly update gents.

Both razors are still shaving neck and neck. There had been a very slight deterioration in the comfort level in the third TI but that has net deteriorated any further in the last week. The weekly microscopic exam hasn't changed any from last week. SRP 38 looks exactly the same and the microchips in the other TI are still there but they appear to be getting a little less pronounced.

I was thinking though that I kind of assumed that these two would kind of change in comfort and closeness and that would become apparent but then again what if they both deteriorate at the same rate, would I be able to tell if this was happening little by little.

So today I decided to shave with a different razor. So which one to use. Now I have to say that I classify my razors as either giving excellent shaves, outstanding shaves, or exceptional shaves. The difference twix the excellent and outstanding is trivial and its just that I'm too lazy to do the additional honing to get them outstanding so as they need to be honed I bring them up to that level but the exceptional shavers, now thats another story.

From where I'm sitting you can't turn an outstanding shaver into an exceptional one. The razor has to have it in it to reach that level. All three razors in this experiment are outstanding shavers. I think its a combination of things that makes it exceptional, closeness of shave, comfort, feel and balance all go into the equation things beyond honing. Maybe things that can't be quantified or even described maybe spirits, I don't know. I have about 35 razors and probably 6 or 7 are exceptional. Some DDs, a Henkels, My TI Pierre Thiers Limited Addition a few more.

But back to the question at hand, which razor to use today? I chose my TI Damascus. Its kind of on the cusp almost exceptional but not quite only because its not the closest shaver but it meets the other criteria especially the comfort factor. That its got in spades. Well with the first stroke of the razor (and mind you I've been shaving exclusively with SRP 38, 39 and the third TI now for almost 2 months straight every day and the last month now with SRP 38 and the third TI) it was very obvious there has been quite a bit of deterioration with these two experiment razors. And its amazing how they appear to be deteriorating at the same rate. Mind you they still give very close shaves and very comfortable shaves but they are out of the league the damascus is in. At this point I would classify the two as giving excellent shaves but barely, using the damascus as a benchmark here. I think next Sunday I'll try a different razor as a further comparision. Maybe one of the excellent shavers. That might be a fairer comparison.

Stay tuned for further developments!

How will you decide when to stop if neither razor actually fails?

My take would be that if both are degrading similarly, then stop when they reach the point where you would normally hone them. In this case, hone them both, switch the 'treatments' and rerun the experiment to ensure there was not a difference between the razors to start with.

Once again, thanks for your efforts. I don't know about anyone else, but I've certainly learned a thing or two .
Ed