Thread: Stropping question...

Too much is made of the HHT, etc... There's only one meaninful test, the shave. How often are using the pasted strop? I use mine every 5 weeks, or so, when the blade tugs rather than cutting cleanly. If you are using it everytime you shave, then you are using it too much. Proper stropping prior to each shave should get you by for awhile. Only when regular stropping isn't enough should you use the pasted strop...

i just don't understand why, after i finish shaving and post-shave stropping, only part of the blade is sharp enough for the HHT? is it my stropping technique do you think? I am using a thiers issard paddle strop (the "extra wide one"). it is my understanding that stropping on a plain leather strop has 2 purposes: 1. to remove any moisture from the edge 2. to re-align the edge. my razor should not dull that much i think from just one use...

THe hht is only going to make you frustrated, it only works for some people's hair and most of the people I know don't bother with it.

Shave test is the best test, imo.


Strope very slow and your edges should be fine.

I shave every day with a straight razor and have never used the hanging hair test per se. There, I said it, and by that admission have emerged from the depths of my closet. Many will think lesser of me, I know, but that's ok; I'm free now. Does that make me homogenous? I don't know, but I do admit to using lather and leather FWTW.

I do know that as my hair falls out some strands will often pause briefly to hang from my eyebrows. Does that count?

If I ever find the guy who started this HHT thing he's gonna be in big trouble.

I don't know why some of these bogus things become so readily accepted as gospel by so many people. It's just like breadknifing, that's another one.

So is there any across the board test I can do? How do the hone masters know when the SR's they sharpen are done? Do they actually have to shave with other peoples blade?

I have never done a HHT, am i missing something?????????????? I would rather shave and test it that way.

It's mostly all about the bevel. If it's not 100% you can tweak it with pastes etc to pass HHT & even give a shave of sorts but it won't last. Just shave it for a while without the paste & see how long you get before its uncomfortable. If you only get a few shaves till it starts tugging & you're sure of the steel then I'd bet the bevel is not optimal.