Thread: The Almighty Hanging Hair Test (HHT)...

Originally Posted by honedright

The proof is in the eating, but one good poke into the steak with an experienced finger during cooking can tell if the steak is rare, medium, medium well, well, and/or overdone. Takes a lot of the guess work out of it, and lets you enjoy your steaks the way you want them more often.

You've still got to calibrate that finger first, and that means poking a lot of steaks.

Originally Posted by mparker762

You've still got to calibrate that finger first, and that means poking a lot of steaks.

You betcha! But it sure is worth it.

Scott

Originally Posted by scarface

"...quality of the HHT"??? I just assumed that either it cut the hair or it didn't.

What am I missing here?

-whatever

-Lou

Different thickness of hair from person to person will affect the HHT.


I think mparker has the right approach. Get some honemeister blades and try all the different tests you can think of and look for consistency and patterns that correlate to shave quality. Then, try to get your own honed razors to match that consistency and then test shave.

Definitely easier than said and it definitely takes time to develop the 'feel' for the tests. I'm in the process of refining the 'feel' myself.

One thing to keep in mind too is that it is said that shave quality improves after a shave or two after a honing. My guess is that it is all the stropping after 3 shaves has improved the edge smoothness by wearing down the microscopic scratches from the hones.

All right, gents, thanks for some excellent posts - good info, that.

If I was to describe my own HHT, I would say that, for the most part, they definitely 'POP" - in fact, I have often marveled at how the severed part just seemed to explode off the end of the hair-

which would apparently indicate a fin - whuich, if I understand correctly, would indicate over-stropping on the pasted strops.

So, how do I take strops back??

Seriously, what's the best way to remove a fin and resharpen the blade, bearing in mind that I don't have a hone (yet) and am limited to a really nice 3/1/0.5 pasted paddle strop.

Also, is there a listing of honemeisters somewhere on the site - I've been looking, and haven't found it yet.

Thanks in advance

-whatever

-Lou

Originally Posted by scarface

If I was to describe my own HHT, I would say that, for the most part, they definitely 'POP" - in fact, I have often marveled at how the severed part just seemed to explode off the end of the hair-

which would apparently indicate a fin - whuich, if I understand correctly, would indicate over-stropping on the pasted strops.

That's what aggressive popping means for me, your hair may well pop under slightly different circumstances.

I think the popping effect has two likely causes:

1) A weak but springy edge springboards the cut end into the air. This is likely a wire edge.

2) A weak but springy hair stretches as the blade cuts in and pulls it, and the release of this springiness as the hair is cut springboards the cut end into the air. If it pulls the hair, the blade will likely pull your beard too.

For me, 90% of the time this effect means (1) is the culprit, but that may not be true with your hair - it just depends on what your hair is like, and maybe the details of how the blade and hair are contacting each other.

Originally Posted by scarface

Also, is there a listing of honemeisters somewhere on the site - I've been looking, and haven't found it yet.

At one time anybody with a high enough post count was flagged as a honemeister, but that became too silly so it was changed. There's no official list of honemeisters, because there's no qualification or certification test for such a thing. One achieves that title by popular acclamation (preferably by happy paying customers).

That said the founder of this site Lynn Abrams (adjustme69) is pretty universally accepted as *the* honemeister, and there are several others that are also widely acclaimed by SRP rank and file such as Bill Ellis, Joe Chandler, Randy Tuttle, and some others.

Originally Posted by scarface

If I was to describe my own HHT, I would say that, for the most part, they definitely 'POP" - in fact, I have often marveled at how the severed part just seemed to explode off the end of the hair-

which would apparently indicate a fin - whuich, if I understand correctly, would indicate over-stropping on the pasted strops.

So, how do I take strops back??

Seriously, what's the best way to remove a fin and resharpen the blade, bearing in mind that I don't have a hone (yet) and am limited to a really nice 3/1/0.5 pasted paddle strop.
-Lou

I class this as a wire edge having been produced on the razor. Try a few strokes over the linen with the strop just slightly slacker than normal, then a couple over the leather in the same way. After this use the strop at normal tension for a good 40 strokes with light pressure. If this doesnt cure it then I would recomend you go to your pasted strops and start again but remembering to to strop with a sliding action across the strop, (think it's called X pattern on here).
This when done through the grades should return it to usable condition. DON'T OVER DO IT! I always strop with the razor tip following btw.

PuFF

Thank you, sir, I appreciate the additional information.

I shall give it a try, as well as getting a Honemeister-honed razor or two --

now, the question is:

should I find a honemeister and send him a razor or two....

or, just buy a brand-spankin' new TI from ClassicShaving and have them send it to Lynn...good excuse, that, for a new razor....

'...but Honey, the guys TOLD me I HAD to buy a new one to compare my old ones with....I didn't WANT to, but they TOLD me to...'

-hmmmmmmmm

-whatever

-Lou

Take one of your razors and hone it as best you can. Then send it to Lynn and get him to evaluate your honing job, and hone it properly. That way you (a) know what that exact blade can do when properly honed and (b) know what you were doing wrong.

Originally Posted by mparker762

Take one of your razors and hone it as best you can. Then send it to Lynn and get him to evaluate your honing job, and hone it properly. That way you (a) know what that exact blade can do when properly honed and (b) know what you were doing wrong.

On the other hand, and I'm not trying to be pesty (you know, give a man a fish / teach him how to fish) start learning how to judge a honed edge with the moistened thumb nail (it's really not that difficult). Go through the process of feeling a "sliding-over-the-nail" under-honed edge, a rough, gritty over-honed edge and a smooth as silk, biting in "ready-to-strop" edge. The sooner you learn how, the better.

You can send it to someone to hone it for you, but then you will miss out on all of the sensations except for the "ready-to-strop" edge, and maybe even that. You will prolong your learning curve and possibly become dependent on others to do your honing. Of course, if that is acceptable to you, then by all means go for it.

Scott