Don't Shoot The Messenger
Actually, I'd like to see another member repeat the experiment to see how another user might change the results.
As for the total number of strop passes, it seems to me that since razors are a little gruff fresh off the hone, and operating a little too smooth or wiry later on, it seems like a totally different experiment is in order, perhaps like the one you describe, to determine whether or not it's better to strop the razor more in the weeks after honing and less after a few weeks have past in order to optimise the comfort of the razor.
X
calling all honemeisters-some deep stuff
Well another week has come and gone and with this mornings shave with SRP 38 I have removed it from this rotation.
There is much to discuss in this update. In phase 1 SRP 39 got the 30x passes and SRP 38 got 30 before and 30 after and after about 10 shaves I removed SRP 39 because the comfort factor had deteriorated. Mind you it still shaved very well but the deterioration was there and shaving was really getting to be a pain. In this phase SRP 38 lasted about 12 shaves and frankly was in better overall shape that SRP 39 in phase one but for differing reasons.
In this phase I pulled SRP 38 but not because it was uncomfortable because it was still giving quite comfortable shaves, not quite as good as the other two razors but still quite comfortable. The reason I pulled it was because it was getting dull. It was taking too many passes to get those problem areas and still was leaving much to be desired compared to SRP 39 and the other TI.
So honemeisters here's the kicker, why this time around did the sharpness fail whereas the last time around the comfort failed?
So here is the $64,000 question and probable answer and some deep stuff to put in our pipes to smoke. Last time around prep was done using the Norton 8K and finishing on the 12K Kitayama. This time prep was done on the yellow coticule. So, do you guys think that it is possible that the resultant edge produced by the coticule favors comfort over sharpness while the edge produced by the norton favors sharpness over comfort. And somewhere in that equation figures longevity of the edge too.
Now I'm not saying the coticule edge isn't sharp it certainly is but is it possible the edge geometry is such that its almost the effect of slightly rounding off the edge to give that degree of comfort the norton edge doesn't have for the first few shaves after honing. Many here have said that after honing with the Norton the comfort increases after a few shaves. I've found that to be the case also.
Now this issue was not something that was ever to be explored in this experiment but here it is anyway. So something I would like to introduce as a concept is what I like to call the three tiers of an edge. To me there are three factors or qualities an edge should have, 1-degree of sharpness, 2-degree of comfort, and 3-longevity of edge before honing is required. Is it possible that some of these factors work against each other? Anotherwords maybe an edge with 100% sharpness can never have more than x% comfort and an edge with 100% comfort can never have more than x% sharpness and somewhere in there the longevity of the edge also factors in. You can figure out what x stands for because I don't know but you can bet its important to know.
What we are all striving for in our honing and stroping is to strike that point where either each factor is at its best with out affecting the other two OR we personally are more concerned with one factor over the other two and are willing to accept compromises to get that final degree of whichever factor is more important to each of us?
Is it not also possible that the reason we all talk about our different methods of edge maintainance ie honing stroping etc because each material ie leather, ceramic, natural stone, paste, etc emphasizes a different one of the three factors?
The experiment will continue using SRP 39 being stroped 60x and the third TI being stroped 30x before and 30x after shaving. We will see if this pattern continues with these other two razors.
watch out for systematic error.
Very interesting experiment. I only have a suggestion to take out one source of systematic error. Use one and only one razor, and do the different experiments sequentially. Also, prepare the blade by honing exactly the same each time. When you are finished with, say two weeks of doing the "30 passes before" experiment, then switch to the scheme of doing "30 before and 30 after", etc. In my very limited opinion, the hardness of the steel may not be that easy to control during manufacture. Especially if the guys making the TIs are really dipping them by hand into molten lead and quenching them in oil (I read that somewhere, maybe the classicshaving.com website). I suspect the variability of that process may produce blades of slightly differing hardness that could affect the results of your study.
E