Thread: Arm Hair Test???

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

The idea is to get the best shave. The shave is the test. So, a hair that's closest to the hair you're shaving is the best test.

So what, you shave the badger brush, or what... I mean, hot towel it, lather it etc.??? Or you just dry shave?

Originally Posted by superfly

So what, you shave the badger brush, or what... I mean, hot towel it, lather it etc.??? Or you just dry shave?

Do you lather the fine hair? Remember, the most important job of the lather is to lubricate your skin. It may help the whiskers stand up, but it's also lubricating them (making them slippery), so the cutting is actually less efficient than dry. If you have a keen edge it shouldn't pull and a hair closest to the whiskers will give you the most accurate test.

In any case, I no longer use any of those hair tests. I find the thumb test much more reliable.

Joe . is this the thumb test described in the barber manual in the help files .. whereupon you test the keenss of the blade on the fleshy part of a wetted thumb ? I made a very cautious attempt of this test last night but being a newbie nerves got the better of me and I dared not move the razor just in case ( placing it agianst my thumb demanded enough concentration and courage ).. personally I think this test will need to wait until my skills and knowledge of the blade become more tuned ....

Originally Posted by Garry

Joe . is this the thumb test described in the barber manual in the help files .. whereupon you test the keenss of the blade on the fleshy part of a wetted thumb ? I made a very cautious attempt of this test last night but being a newbie nerves got the better of me and I dared not move the razor just in case ( placing it agianst my thumb demanded enough concentration and courage ).. personally I think this test will need to wait until my skills and knowledge of the blade become more tuned ....

It won't hurt you, as long as you rememer that the thumb moves ACROSS the edge, and it's just softly grazed over it. Don't move the razor. Hold it steady with the edge toward you in one hand, and use the thumb of the other hand for the test. You need to pass the test at the tip, the heel and the middle of the blade.

For practice, you can use a fresh single edge razor blade, and compare your razor to that. You don't have to get it as sharp, but it's a good standard for a real grab.

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

so the cutting is actually less efficient than dry.

How can you say that shaving your lathered beard and slicing badger hair bone dry have similarities between them??!@#

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

It may help the whiskers stand up, but it's also lubricating them (making them slippery), so the cutting is actually less efficient than dry.

Oh, my god, you shoud have sad this earlier! Off to garbage bin goes my badger brush and all these fine cremes and soaps... dry shaving...

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

Do you lather the fine hair?

nope, that is why I dry cut it, cause it's fine hair.

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

Remember, the most important job of the lather is to lubricate your skin.

Wrong again. The most important job of the lather is to strip the whiskers of the oil surrounding them, and allow the water to penetrate and saturate the hair, enlarging it's volume by ~40%, making them softer (from all the water inside them) and making it easier for the razor to cut them. The (bad) side effect from the lather (soap by composition, dissolving oil) is that it also strips your skin from the (lubricating) oils too, that is why bentonite clay (lubricant) is added. That is why the hot towels are used, to stimulate your glands to produce more oil between the razor and the skin.

N

Fantastic , thanks for explaining that a lot clearer than the book , from the barber diagram info & description I was going to attempt to draw the blade down my thumb - that could have been a rather painful mistake to make if I had the courage to complete .. Using the single blade is a great idea for a guide .... thanks

Originally Posted by RichZ

I disagree boar or badger hair is more like facial hair than my arm hair. I know if it cuts boar hair it will give me a good shave.

I agree. Being able to cut the hairs on my arm is one of the tests that I use enroute to the test shave. First I try the thumb nail test, then the arm test, then the hanging hair test then strop and test shave.

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