Thread: Hair test

Originally Posted by jbcohen

A member of this forum told me the only real way to test if a razor is ready to shave with it is to lather up and shave. My straight razor teacher tells me the best way to tell is to attempt to cut paper with it.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

The only test that counts is the shave test.

Make that two members!

Actually, here are just a handful of others some of whom are professional razor sharpeners who have sharpened thousands of straight razors

Originally Posted by majurey

The only reliable test is the shave test, of course.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

The shave-test is the only test that matters.

Originally Posted by Bruno

In the end, the shave test is the only test that matters. If it feels good, it IS good.

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

The shave test is the only test that matters.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The last test is the shave test and really the only one that matters...

Originally Posted by Lynn

For me, no other tests up to the point of shaving are really meaningful.

Other tests can have some value depending on what you are looking for as far as improvement to the edge during honing, but none do nearly so well as the shave test for determining whether or not it will make a good shave

Originally Posted by fccexpert

If you are talking about the hanging hair test, it is more of a parlor trick that a real test. I have a number of razors that fail this test and shave great and some that pass the test but give a horrible shave. The only test that counts is the shave test.

Very well said! I still do the HHT - probably out of habit, and most of the time the test works even with my baby fine hair. I guess I like to observe "HOW" the test passes. Sometimes it's a crisp "pop" - but the best is the "silent" result - when you just touch the hair to the edge and the hair falls away "Silently". It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I know I'm in for a hell of a shave. But saying all this, there are times when it wont pass HHT, or I have to practically saw that hair in half for it to pass, and I will get a wonderful, great shave! ....Go figure!

It really amounts to the characteristics of the individual blade itself, i.e., the grind of the razor, the type of bevel that has been put on it, the edge itself, maybe slight differences in how you have honed that blade, the metalurgy of the steel itself, all of the above, etc., etc.

I have a "John Barber" that is a very unusually shaped razor. It's a 5/8, and has an extremely thick spine for it's size. Usually a razor with a spine of that thickness is usually a much larger blade (7/8, 8/8, ect.). It like a man who is very short, but a very large man at the same time. Anyway, there is no way I can ever get that razor to pass HHT, and yet, it will give me my most best shaves in all the world.

Go figure, go figure, and go figure.....?????

Steve

Go watch that Livi video that the Octopus posted in one of the other threads. Even he takes the blade to his whiskers to determine when he is satisfied with sharpness.

Haglahoo & Co. well said. Get shaving & stropping, then you will know. There is no substitute for experience.

Pabster

No my shave teacher does not sell hones, his job is to sell straight razor shaves to anyone who walks in the front doors of the Art of Shaving. He is teaching me the art of the straight razor shave as a side line which also takes a tad bit away from his real job, much the the irritation of his employer.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Make that two members!

Actually, here are just a handful of others some of whom are professional razor sharpeners who have sharpened thousands of straight razors






Other tests can have some value depending on what you are looking for as far as improvement to the edge during honing, but none do nearly so well as the shave test for determining whether or not it will make a good shave

Just my 2cents, JB listen to the LOGIC of these members who have been honing for a time and some for a living. In the end your not shaving paper your shaving your face.

Originally Posted by jbcohen

No my shave teacher does not sell hones, his job is to sell straight razor shaves to anyone who walks in the front doors of the Art of Shaving. He is teaching me the art of the straight razor shave as a side line which also takes a tad bit away from his real job, much the the irritation of his employer.

He uses some kind of shavette to shave customers, correct me if i'm wrong here.

What is his background with traditional straights and everything that goes with it?

Lee your search abilities amaze me my friend

That list of quotes is quite impressive....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Lee your search abilities amaze me my friend

That list of quotes is quite impressive....

Oh noes... Dont stroke his ego any more.

Since I am new to straight shaving , stropping and everything else that goes with it, my shaves are getting harder instead of easier. I blame it on my stroping. I did send my razors out to get honed so they were sharp 2 weeks ago. I will have to be patient and keep trying.
Thanks to everyone