Thread: TI razor-Sharp enough?

All the tests you mention (HHT and TPT) are used in the course of honing to assess the progression of an edge. They're not meant to be used to gauge shave readiness. The ONLY test for that is the shave test.

The HHT is TBH a bit of a parlour trick. Its only any use once you've calibrated it for your hair. To give you an example, I have a Boker Edelweisse from SRD which was honed by Lynn (I've had it a while now though, so its since been rehoned by me). So I knew the edge was good when I got it..! For me it passed the HHT about 60% of the time, for my dad every time and a mate of mine couldnt get it to work at all. One shave ready razor, and three different results, but the shave was excellent!

The TPT is usually used after the 1k stone to ensure a good even bevel is set, but using it on a shave ready razor wont yield the same meaningful result. You may also cut yourself!

Have a look at this Wiki article to see more about these tests.

A shavette is a different animal to a straight, and the geometry of the edge is different, so its not a direct one to one swap over. You'll probably need to change your angles slightly, or at least I did when I used a shavette.

The first thing to do is to contact AoS to discuss the problems you are having and see what they can do for you. If you're still not sure about the edge, the best advice would be to send it to a pro for honing. I dont know of someone in Chicago, but you can certainly mail the razor to several people who you can contact via the classifieds.

Historically though, this sort of problem is usually a technique issue which works itself out with practice. When most people start, the shave is not as good as they're used to, just because of the unfamiliarity of the razor and the motions they are making. That may not be the case here, but thats quite often the problem!

But the first thing to do is contact the vendor and see what they can offer.