Thread: Stropping question/issue...

Yes my razor was shave ready, done by Lynn Abram. I guess I'm going to just go ahead and shave, because after I saw it slice the hair on my arm I was slightly convinced that it was fine to shave. So I guess I'll do 50 laps on the leather strap.

Too late now, but it is suggested that you shave before stropping on a Lyn honed razor. Reason being that he already stropped it and wants you to know how it felt when it was perfect out of his hands. But life goes on, you’d need to strop it for sure for the second shave. HHT means nothing, shave with that puppy. If your blade is plowing up effortless piles of hair on your arm, it’s pretty close no matter what. Look at 50 up/down full laps on the strop before each shave. Be careful not to lift the spine as you stroke, that is where “rolling the edge” happens. This can kill a perfect blade, at least until re-honing or many, many. many stropping laps.

I was going to suggest more, or more better, stropping. HHT, take it or leave it. I know some of the guys here don't count on it, but I find that the HHT is, in addition to the thumb pad test, a great indicator that your razor is properly stropped.

You didn't mention if you had actually tried to shave with the razor. I'll admit that if the razor shaves to your satisfaction, regardless of HHT, then you are good to go. What I don't get is, if a razor is truly keen, why wouldn't it pass the HHT? All of mine do and the edges are definitely not rough.

Makes me wonder if those who say that their razors are good shavers, but don't pass the HHT are actually settling. I don't know. I've never used their razors, and I've never shaved with a razor that didn't pass HHT (and not just pass, but pass acording to my standards).


Scott

Watch how you hold the hair. If I recall its 1/2 from the root. I have thin hair so I'll raid my kids or wife's brush to confirm.
To me the HHT keeps me in check vs. the razor. If I have a not great shave but pop the HHT in (3) places, then it was my technique.
Newbie here so YMMV... Love that ping sound!

Boyd

This is perhaps going to sound crazy, but I also think that the one reason for the disagreements regarding the HHT depends somewhat on one's hair -- in particular, on its thickness (and perhaps other factors).

At a recent gathering, we noticed that my hair (which is medium thin in its thickness) didn't work very well compared to other folks' hair at the HHT (on the same spot on the same razor).

Perhaps this is why different folks have different results with the HHT. Arm hair is also different than head hair, and may explain your different results.

Just a thought,

cass

Originally Posted by cassady

This is perhaps going to sound crazy, but I also think that the one reason for the disagreements regarding the HHT depends somewhat on one's hair -- in particular, on its thickness (and perhaps other factors).

At a recent gathering, we noticed that my hair (which is medium thin in its thickness) didn't work very well compared to other folks' hair at the HHT (on the same spot on the same razor).

Perhaps this is why different folks have different results with the HHT. Arm hair is also different than head hair, and may explain your different results.

Just a thought,

cass

Possibly. But I've noticed that during the process of stropping, my razors edge goes through different stages. Initially the hair will glide over the edge without being cut. Then more stropping. The edge will aggressively grab at the hair and pop the hair off. More stropping. The edge will gently grab at the hair and slice the hair up the middle. More stropping. The edge will ever so slightly grab the hair and the hair falls in two. At that point I'm usually done and can be assured of a good shave. The thumb pad test at this point usually reveals a very "sticky" edge.

But, often I will try the same with my wife's much finer hair (blondish red - finer than mine). If the edge will cut her fine hair I'm very satisfied. If not, again more stropping (usually this "more stropping" involves alternating between the canvas and the leather side of the strop). Usually I'll find one of her finest blondish, almost invisible hairs, and continue the process until that hair can be cut while hanging. Not a "popping off", but falling away. Once again, a good shave and "sticky" TPT.

Now it might sound as though I spend all day going through this procedure, but generally it takes no more than 10 minutes, if even that long, at most.

I contend that a hair's a hair and that if a razor is keen enough it will cut a hanging hair regardless of hair type. I'd love to be proved wrong (in other words I love a good challenge).


Scott

BTW - "good shave" = one pass, WTG, BBS shave.

The hanging hair test has never been a reliable method, for me, indicating that a razor is ready to shave. As with most guys who hone razors, we do shave test them to make sure they are right before they leave us. My problem with so much discussion on the hanging hair test, the thumb pad test and the thumb nail test is that new people make up their minds about the shave before they shave based on these tests. The biggest problem we have seen with the newer folks is that they need to obtain a proper angle on the razor for shaving along with good beard prep and stropping techniques. Most rather than just try a section of the face at a time until they really learn the proper technique, take on the whole face and many times have an uncomfortable result.

We have only one goal here and that is for people to learn this sport and enjoy it for the rest of their lives the same as we do.

Have fun,

Lynn

Originally Posted by honedright

I'd love to be proved wrong (in other words I love a good challenge).

pm sent

Originally Posted by cassady

This is perhaps going to sound crazy, but I also think that the one reason for the disagreements regarding the HHT depends somewhat on one's hair -- in particular, on its thickness (and perhaps other factors).

At a recent gathering, we noticed that my hair (which is medium thin in its thickness) didn't work very well compared to other folks' hair at the HHT (on the same spot on the same razor).

Perhaps this is why different folks have different results with the HHT. Arm hair is also different than head hair, and may explain your different results.

Just a thought,

cass

Yep, I remember that. I have two labs that shed like crazy no matter how much I brush them so just for kicks and grins I use their fur. Actually I use the fur I brush off the Chocolate Lab, it's hard to see the fur off the Yellow Lab. I pick out the thicker 'hairs' and use them for a test/play. Like all here are saying, the true test is in the actual shave. I just get a kick out of the expressions CarrieM and JrJoeD make when the hairs just POP. Even if the straight is popping hairs, once in a while it goes back to the hone because it is a little course shaving. Just use the HHT as a game and let the actual shave be your measure. It you need to see if it is sharp enough shave a few hairs on your arm. That's a slightly better test before you go to your face if you don't like the TPT.

I am going to weigh in on this also:

First, if you send your razor out to be honed, don't do tests before you shave with it, the shave is the test....

Tests are for people to use while they hone a razor, they don't mean a thing to anyone else...

In other words TNT: hey it's "my" thumbnail and I use the same one, the same way, every time, so I know the bevel is correct....

TPT: I do it the same way, on "my" thumb, every time, to make sure the razor is ready to go on to the next stage of honing...

The Armhair test: That's why I have no hair on "my" left arm, I just finished honing 10 razors, and every one of them cut "my" armhair "my" way...

The HHT: Yeah I did it just to make "myself" smile, and I used my wife's superfine hair because it's the hardest to cut... doesn't mean anything to anyone else, it just makes me happy to see the hair silently fall away..

After all that, we test shave, the edge, and then re-strop the edge for you.... After that first shave, then check out the edge so you can get a benchmark for your own future honing endevors....