I do use the HHT to gauge where the blade is at. I was shaving/honing for a good year before I had any kind of consistent success with HHT. I got a DFS out of many blades that didn't make HHT in that first year. So my honing improved to some extent, and my skill at a successful HHT improved. The whole is the sum of its parts and there is a lot more to it than trying to cut a hair with a razors edge. So for guys that aren't getting it, don't fret. As long as the shaves are good, and they can be, don't worry about something that is relatively inconsequential in the scheme of things. IMHO.