Thread: What makes a razor pass the HHT?

Warning -- a lot of contencious opinion follows:

In regards to the OP and thread:

Very true. I think I would try twenty laps on linen. That might bring the razor back to HHT. Using a barber hone incorrectly will also eliminate the possibility of passing the HHT until the razor has been re-stropped significantly.

The HHT still has a valid purpose. I think we should continue to progress peoples knowledge about how it works and how to do it.

It would be nice to get people to learn more about how to use and test razors, before they try them on their face. As long as we are clear that a razor can shave well before passing most peoples definition of a HHT.

In general, and no longer responding to the OP:

Originally, when I did the HHT I used chest hair. Now I use arm hair and just leave it on the arm. The fine, soft, conditioned hair, off a womans head would never work for me. The hair on my arm is really soft and fine though. Finer than my beard.

I also think we should have some respect for the HHT. A "straight razor" that can not cut a hair does not deserve the moniker. Yes, you can shave with it, but should you? Maybe, and maybe not. I'll argue that you should not. So, assuming you really do understant the HHT, and the variety of hairs, etc. Why try to shave with a razor that doesn't cut hair? I agree that a beginner can shave with a razor that doesn't pass, but should an advanced practicioner try to shave with a razor that doesn't pass any HHT? Most likely, no, he should not. He should at least be able to find some test that validates that the razor is sharp. Even a moderately experienced person should have some understanding of how to measure sharpness as he hones, without having to shave.

The three valued tests, to me, include the thumbnail test, the thumbpad test, and the HHT test. Since this is the beginners forum I will elaborate on these three a little. The thumbnail test is done while honing primarily to ensure you have a "sharp" bevel and a consistent edge. On the other end of the spectrum you have the thumbpad test which is directly focused on "shave readiness". To me this means sharp and smooth. This test is pretty tough for me, but requires a lot of stropping. That's fine though, considering the purpose.

In the middle we have our much underappreciated HHT. Now, what I consistently fail to understand is, given the purpose of the test, why people want to use the test before stropping. If you follow the rule that you will always strop before shaving, and you do not strop before doing the HHT, I think you might be missing the purpose and timing of the test for you. And understanding the purpose, timing, and the "readings" you get from a test is very valuable. So, it's okay to use the HHT as you hone to test for the razor becoming sharper. It will often start "catching" hair as it becomes sharper, but, stropping may be in order too. The HHT should never be relegaded to the "it's not really important" status because you don't understand it or can't do it.

So to me, the bottom line is that with any test that directly deals with the shave readiness or the ability to cut hair, the test should follow (and measure) both honing and stropping. Not only does it ensure that you've given the edge all the benefits it deserves before the test, you also can evaluate how much you are dulling the edge by stropping. Ultimately, the edge is never going to touch a hair without being stropped. To me it would be like testing a razor by shaving without stropping to determine how well you've honed, and I don't think that is, at an advanced level, the right viewpoint to take.