Thread: The Grand Experiment- Phase 2

For those of you who are either new or don't remember, a few months ago I ran a little experiment whose aim was to determine if additional stropping really made a difference.

I used three TI razors all 6/8 models. I used two SRP edition razors, #s 38 and 39 and a wolf and sheep brand TI. SRP 38 was stropped 30x before shaving and 30x after shaving. SRP 39 was stropped 30x before shaving and the third TI was stropped 60x before shaving. All three were given 6 passes on linen before shaving and initially I used a Double Duck Horsehide stropp but switched mid way to Tony Miller's #1 Stropp.

The result seemed to point to the fact that more stropping is better since SRP 39 dropped out pretty early and the other two were pretty much neck and neck though towards the end the third TI seemed to very marginally surpass SRP 38 though I have some reservations that the third TI might be a better quality razor than the SRPs though I'm really not sure.

So this brings us to phase two of this little experiment. In this phase I'll reverse the stropping so SRP 39 will get the 30x before and after treatment and SRP 38 will be stropped 60x before and the third TI will get 30x before only. If you guys think I should reverse 38 and the third TI feel free to sound off.

The other razor treatment will be the same, 6 passes on linen before only and Tony Miller's #1 stropp for the leather. Since I shave every day I'll keep rotating the three razors until there is a noticeable deterioration in the shave quality as I did the last time.

I'll probably start this thing monday morning once I get all three razors equally honed up. I anticipate a few trips on the yellow coticule and a few more on the 12000 Kitayama should do it.

Once I start I'll post updates on this thread. Any questions, suggestions or comments are welcome.

I don't have a SRP TI to offer, but maybe someone would be generous enough to loan you one to make things even? The third TI, although a TI, might behave differently. I know it's a lot to ask, but maybe someone will step up.

Jeff

This will be the first progress report on the experiment. I decided to change the stropping routine a bit so they were all different than in phase one so SRP 38 now gets 30x before shaving and SRP 39 gets 60X while the third TI gets 30x before and 30x after. So after one week everybody is neck and neck. We'll see what happens next week.

If you can put "round 2" on hold, I will send you mine...but it's on loan at the moment and across the country from me, so it may be a bit before I see it again. I have #89. Jeff, it's down in your neck of the woods.

RT

Thanks for your gracious offer RT. The only thing is that this phase is supposedly to validate what was done in phase one. If I change the razors now the results can't be compared to what happened in the last phase. I have a better idea, if your willing to try, after I finish with phase two I could send you my two and you could replicate the experiment from scratch with three SRPs. Now that would be something! And with two people involved it would really nail down this issue of whether more stropping is better.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Thanks for your gracious offer RT. The only thing is that this phase is supposedly to validate what was done in phase one. If I change the razors now the results can't be compared to what happened in the last phase. I have a better idea, if your willing to try, after I finish with phase two I could send you my two and you could replicate the experiment from scratch with three SRPs. Now that would be something! And with two people involved it would really nail down this issue of whether more stropping is better.

Two concerns: I don't shave with a straight everyday, primarily because of time constraints. And, I'm not sure I am expert enough at this yet. I'm still pretty much a newbie who posts a lot! Anyway, I'm game to try, but I would have more confidence in someone with more experience.

RT

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

Two concerns: I don't shave with a straight everyday, primarily because of time constraints. And, I'm not sure I am expert enough at this yet. I'm still pretty much a newbie who posts a lot! Anyway, I'm game to try, but I would have more confidence in someone with more experience.

RT

Well, lets revisit this issue when I finish this phase and well see if your willing to try then or maybe someone else will volunteer.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well, lets revisit this issue when I finish this phase and well see if your willing to try then or maybe someone else will volunteer.

Fair enough. Even if I decide I'm not qualified, I'm still willing to loan out the razor.

RT

I think it's a great idea. We'd be looking to create some differences to see how the results might change from shaver to shaver. The actual Theory would be primarily dependant upon that, but not to hyjack a thread by inspiring a new one.

Now I have to remember what happened last time. That third razor mucks me up every time.

X

Originally Posted by xman

I think it's a great idea. We'd be looking to create some differences to see how the results might change from shaver to shaver. The actual Theory would be primarily dependant upon that, but not to hyjack a thread by inspiring a new one.

Now I have to remember what happened last time. That third razor mucks me up every time.

X

X- are you saying you volunteer to replicate the experiment?