The Golden Shaving competition is all about promoting the spirit of the antique hand plane community of fun, enjoyment of these antique tools, sharing knowledge and bragging rights for the next 12 months.
How do I join the fun?
Deadline for entry online registration is midnight July 31
· Participants complete an online registration form and pay the $5.00 entry fee.
· The registration link to the form is: https://aplanelife.us/products-for-sale/ols/products/the-golden-shaving-2023-entry-fee
· You will receive an official measuring standard and shaving template in the mail.
· You will receive a ZOOM link for the Golden Shaving competition. You will need internet or cell connection to ZOOM to participate.
· Entry fees will be used to cover the cost of mailings, shipping of the Golden Shaving traveling trophy (Thank you Jeff Warshafsky) awarded for 12 months to the Stanley Stock plane class winner, and the Golden Shaving T-shirt for the Open plane class winner.
Note: All excess funds will be donated to the Purple Heart Project, a 501(c)(3) organization who’s mission is to introduce physically and mentally combat Wounded Warriors, still suffering from the negative effects of combat, to the peace and joy that can be found through the therapy of traditional hand tool woodworking. More information can be found at: https://www.thepurpleheartproject.org/
What is required to participate?
· A fun attitude, this competition is about the joy of using hand planes and the fun of trying to tune them to perfection.
· An internet or cellular connection to ZOOM
A micrometer or thickness gauge with 0.0005" accuracy
What type of hand plane can I use?
There are two classes for the competition, you may enter either or both with your registration fee.
· Stanley Bailey stock plane class – Stanley Bailey planes with all stock parts on common construction lumber. Shaving must be at least 11” long and no less than 1 ¼” wide along entire width. An 18” long standard dimension 2”x4” in common construction lumber will work.
· Open plane class - Any hand plane, any wood. Shaving must be 11” long and no less than 1 ¼” wide along entire width.
How will the competition work?
· On Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 3:00pm EDT, the Golden Shaving Zoom meeting will begin.
· The judging panel, Greg Ricketts, Jeff Warshafsky, and James Wright, will briefly review the competition process and answer questions.
· The Stanley Bailey competition will be first.
· The 3 contestants with the thinnest shaving that fully covers the Golden Shaving template will advance to the final round. The judging panel will determine if a shaving is disqualified.
· The judges will announce the official start. All participants will have 10 minutes to produce their best qualifying shaving, measure, and post their result by entering the 3 measurements in the chat section of the ZOOM call or write them on a full-size piece of paper with a dark marker for their camera to pick up so the judges can record their results
· Qualifying shaving must fully cover the Golden Shaving template, be measured in the center of the width in 3 locations along the length of the shaving. Be careful not to tear your shaving in the measuring process!! Remember, a thicker shaving could win by surviving the process.
· Judges will announce “Planes Down” All measurements must be completed and posted. Apprentices (helpers) are welcome to assist with measuring.
· Once the judges announce all measurements have been recorded, the top 3 qualifiers will be announced and go to the final round.
· The 3 finalists will then compete head-to-head for the winning shaving in a final 3-minute round live on camera. Results will be posted as before, and the judges will determine the winner.
Note: While measurements are the determining factor, comments by the judges on participants planing style, creative workbench setup, choice of plane, awkwardness in trying to measure a delicate shaving, and general appearance may cause participant’s hands to shake with laughter making the task more difficult.
Upon conclusion of the Stanley Bailey class, the Open class will begin following the same format.
Upon conclusion of the Golden Shaving competition, the custom traveling trophy will be awarded to the Stanley Bailey design plane winner. A custom Golden Shaving Open class T-shirt will be awarded to the winner of the Open Class division.
Here is the fine print:
All decisions by the judging panel are final. No refunds of entry fees is available, they go to charity for crying out loud! The winner of the Golden Shaving trophy is expected to display it proudly on any future Hand Planes & Coffee Zoom meetings or in the background of social media posts as supports their need to exercise bragging rights. The winner of the trophy will be required to pack the trophy in the custom shipping box and use the prepaid shipping label to forward the trophy to next year’s winner promptly.
This event is about fun, community, friends and hand planes. Anyone too focused on winning or complaining too loudly may be asked to take their plane, wood, and shavings and go. Let’s have fun and see if someone can actually produce a really thin shaving with a western style hand plane out of construction lumber and keep it in one piece long enough to win.