Neither pomposity nor the pretense of genius make a writers' argument persuasive. And I don't recall ever having an argument with someone who considers themselves intelligent, who ended an argument with an 'I have a big weiner' type statement.



I don't recall anyone convincing me not to research and test something I was interested in because I wasn't already proficient in that given area. In fact if people followed your advice and didn't question things that were outside their normal fields of study we'd be missing out on huge chunks of knowledge.

Kid, your arguments remind me of some of the reasons given why women shouldn't be allowed to vote, or go to college. Something about it not being their place to question stuff they don't already know about.

Specific points of contention...

Why would a scanning electron microscope (SEM) be MANDATORY for a reliable test of hook point durability? Wouldn't a test that measures penetration into a standardized medium before and after the hook point is subjected to a standard blunt force indirectly measure the durability of hook points? Or some simple "scratch" test also indirectly measure hook point durability?
There has to be dozens of different ways to indirectly measure hook sharpness and durability.

B-run,

I'm not a statistician, but I'll relearn what I think I'll need. A control chart, standard deviations, alpha and beta errors, and all the horsecrap from my stats classes are still lying dormant in my brain. Relearning stuff isn't a useless endeavor. My grandfather taught himself geometry and trig from college texts he bought at garage sales. I still think that is some cool sheet for an old guy to have done. So I'm not embarrased to admit I hope I'm half as curious about the world around me as he was, and as disciplined to follow through.


Sol,

How do I measure results from hooks I've bent with pliers? That's pretty subjective information.

And how much variability is there between die and temper lots of a given brand of hooks? Is the variability greater between lots than it is between different hook manufacturers?

HalibutSteve,

Thanks for your info. I'll be asking about a process to measure pull strength at home when I call around later this week. I appreciate your help.

Thanks to everyone else who's offered advice and productive criticism.

VHawk