Thread: HHT and Wedges (actually, Near Wedges)

I posted this in this section instead of general honing because I don't really wan't beginners' suppositions. Not that I want to exclude anyone, but it's something I've noticed over 10 years.

When I hone a near wedge, and the edge shaves well, the HHT is never quite as good as it is on a double hollow grind razor. I wonder if there is some kind of connection between the stiffness of a razor edge (i.e., wedges are more rigid) and the ease in passing HHT.

I am not a money honer, I just hone razors I dump as a courtesy because I notice that even when I'm just turning over my collection, it seems like 75%+ of the buyers aren't able to properly hone their razors. I have a system of using my daughter's hair (hers is consistent and reliable for the HHT, my wife's is thicker and erratic on HHT - I am balding and mine is 3/8" long so I have to scrounge hairs laying around the house) where a good clean severing of hair on both sides of the razor front to back has always confirmed a good edge.

Anyway, off of that tangent - have you guys noticed that wedges don't pass the HHT as well? I use natural stones almost exclusively without powders, but I will finish a friodur edge with crox because they are a touch softer and the natural stones cut them ever so slightly deeper than a hard tempered carbon steel razor (and their alloy also holds on to the final foil bits a little longer and stronger than hard carbon steel).

(and now I will wait for the obligatory post that says "if you hone them right, they all perform the same" )

I noticed this years ago with a heavy ground Hayashi that I had that was plenty hard, shaved very well, but never wanted to pass HHT like my other razors do.

Edge of the razor that I'm about to shave with (friodur near wedge - just to get both stainless and near wedge in the equation) - marginal HHT results (splitting hairs before severing them, etc). Edge is post linen and leather, so shiny bits are a product of that. They don't appear until linen and leather. They look similar to what I see on a carbon steel edge after stropping.

Also, I only ever do the bevel set once on a razor, so I never skimp on that, and I never allow an uneven bevel as it's just a way to get inconsistent honing down the road (fat bevel on one side, thin on the other or same issue from one end to another).