I have never been able to achieve the HHT with any kind of consistency. I didn't worry about it that much because I had seen members refer to it as a 'parlor trick' and I am getting good shaves with the level of sharpness I am achieving. Still I have seen the Topher do it with a Goldedge that he honed for me and I was somewhat frustrated that I could not get to that level.

Then I read this thread and re-read this one. I had recently gotten an old Genco Fluid Steel with no bevel. I worked on it with a Shapton Pro 1000 to set a bevel and then went to a Shapton Pro 2000. I decided to go with a natural coticule and did about 20 laps on the blue side and another 20 on the yellow. I learned from Randy to do the TNT and the TPT while setting the bevel. As soon as the razor passes the TNT not to use that any more but continue the TPT as you go up in grit and start trying the HHT. Up until now I could get a razor to pop hairs and to shave but I could only get the HHT on limited areas of the edge if I could get it at all. I made popping hairs off of my forearm my benchmark and assumed that my hair is too fine to use the HHT.

Well last night I took the Genco from the natural which happens to be a great cutter to a kosher coticule that is a great polisher. Tried the HHT and as usual the blade was sharp enough to cut the hair in a couple of spots but not over the full length. I then followed mparker's lead and stropped on linen for 50 laps followed by another 50 on leather. When I was done stropping I grabbed a hair out of a brush and successfully completed the HHT all along the length of the blade. Tonight I will see if the shave is significantly better then the level of sharpness I normally achieve.