Thread: Stropping question/issue...

So I am very impatient, and today I was trying to start stropping my first razor! This way its ready for when I shave. I watched the videos and everything and I'm doing it like they say. When i pass the razor on my arm it takes the hairs out with ease. But when I try to do the HHT the hair doesnt split but just passing it over the blade. I have to grab it with both hands and pull down a little bit. I dont have to pull hard at all. Only thing I noticed is that I was able to take 1 piece of hair and slide it all the way down the razor and it didnt cut it...but it slices the **** out of my arm hair. So i wonder if its messed up because I stropped incorrectly? i did 10 laps on linen and 25 laps on leather.

Was the razor "shave ready" before you started stropping? And then there is the thing about the HHT not being deterministic. It seems that the HHT test passes most easily on an "aggressive" edge -- one that might still cause irritation or not be that comfortable to shave with. I think if you get the edge even smoother the HHT is likely not to pass as easily or not at all. Assuming the razor was shave ready to begin with, carefully strop it and try shaving with it. Also, 25 laps on a strop would probably be the bare minimum between shaves.

There is only one true test of the razor, putting it to your whiskers on your face. I wouldn't get hung up over the HHT. If it shave ready, shave with it...

for a razor to pass the hht the edge has to be a little rough to grab the hair the only real test is the shave test you could probally skip the linen also it is really only needed to bring back an edge i would do at least 50 laps on the leather and no more than 75 also make sure the spine and the blade are touching the strop at the same time so you dont roll your edge and of course use no to very little pressure

you might want to check out the wiki on stropping also

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