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

You know, I've often read about the thumbnail test, but everytime I try to visualize it, I always have visions of bleeding thumbnails....blood spurting everywhere.....evil men approaching me with razors, asking "Is it safe?"..."Is it safe?" (see "The Marathon Man")....and I end up curled up in the corner with a near terminal case of the 'heebie-jeebies'...

...so, exactly how is it performed?

ie - is the razor drawn along the thumbnail in a slicing motion (ala honing), a cutting motion (ala slicing bread), or perpendicular to the cutting edge (ala a paint scraper)

-I've got to stop now - I feel the h-j's coming on.

-whatever

-Lou

Originally Posted by scarface

You know, I've often read about the thumbnail test, but everytime I try to visualize it, I always have visions of bleeding thumbnails....blood spurting everywhere.....evil men approaching me with razors, asking "Is it safe?"..."Is it safe?" (see "The Marathon Man")....and I end up curled up in the corner with a near terminal case of the 'heebie-jeebies'...

...so, exactly how is it performed?

ie - is the razor drawn along the thumbnail in a slicing motion (ala honing), a cutting motion (ala slicing bread), or perpendicular to the cutting edge (ala a paint scraper)

-I've got to stop now - I feel the h-j's coming on.

-whatever

-Lou

Ok, first things first. You are here-by admonished that you will forever cease and desist from ever again using the word "slice," or any of it's derivatives, when discussing straight razors. This is because we, as competant straight razor "tonseurs" never, ever, slice anything. Ok?? So thou shalt go out and use the "S" word no more...

Trust me, the thumb nail propper is an avascular tissue, meaning it ain't got no blood vessles and if you were to cut it it ain't gunna bleed. If it does, you just chopped off your thumb so put down that hatchet and get your straight razor instead.

Seriously, I'm pretty sure there is a good description of the "thumb nail" test for honing somewhere in the SRP archives, but if not, or you can't find it, I'd be happy to describe it to you (but maybe in another, more topic appropriate thread. Remember, the monster-rators...err...I mean moderators, are watching )

Scott

Perpendicular to the nail, edge runs along the nail itself. Go very slowly as you are trying to feel any grab, bump, or speed increase as you slowly move the razor over the nail. You do not angle the razor in any way.

In your examples the closest would, I believe, be a cutting motion (ala slicing bread). With only one stroke.

You might picture it as a single stroke "sawing" motion, as if your using a carpentry saw but in this case you want the serrations to be so fine that you can't discern there existence or any interruptions in there cutting ability, only a slight grab (digging) into the nail bed via the striations.

well, I certainly didn't mean to hijack this thread -
Alan, Scott, mparker - thanks for taking the time and effort to address my questions - I've found some documents in Joe Lerch's gallery file that might be promising, but I'm having trouble opening them as PDF's - I'll get that sorted out -

Now, back to the thread -

-The Almighty Hanging Hair Test -

So, when I've done the test, I've always held the hair and cut it with the blade, but I recently read somewhere here that the blade is held stationary and the hair run accross the blade - am I not performing the test correctly?

-whatever

I'll be quiet now

-Lou

Also, the thumbnail test is done with just the weight of the blade resting on your thumbnail, you don't bear down on your thumb or anything like that. Generally the blade will cut into your nail, but only very shallowly (is that a word?)

Ok, I posted the directions for the thumb nail test in the "hones" section.

And, better to hold the blade still, move the hair across the blade. Six of one half dozen of the other? I've found that a moving blade near fingers is an invitation to unfortunate results.

Scott

Originally Posted by spacetoast

Also, the thumbnail test is done with just the weight of the blade resting on your thumbnail, you don't bear down on your thumb or anything like that. Generally the blade will cut into your nail, but only very shallowly (is that a word?)

Yes that's right.

shallow |ˈ sh alō| |ˌʃøloʊ| |ˌʃaləʊ|
adjective
of little depth : s

DERIVATIVES
shallowly |ˌʃøloʊli| adverb
shallowness |ˌʃøloʊnəs| noun

That's for the Thumbnail Test. I make sure my nail is saturated with water and I go at it as gingerly as I can because I get the jitters performing it too. Not that I'm afraid of it, but it just feels exactly like what fingernails on a chalkboard sounds like. I can only detect massive imperfections in the edge with this test anyhow so I rarely use it at all.

The Hanging Hair test is done by holding the razor still, of course, and bringing the hair down directly upon the upturned edge. A slight angle of 30º may be employed to get different results, but that would be shaving angle. Cutting angle (running the hair along the edge as in TTT) is inappropriate as far as I can tell.

X

Originally Posted by scarface

You know, I've often read about the thumbnail test, but everytime I try to visualize it, I always have visions of bleeding thumbnails....blood spurting everywhere.....evil men approaching me with razors, asking "Is it safe?"..."Is it safe?" (see "The Marathon Man")....and I end up curled up in the corner with a near terminal case of the 'heebie-jeebies'...

...so, exactly how is it performed?

ie - is the razor drawn along the thumbnail in a slicing motion (ala honing), a cutting motion (ala slicing bread), or perpendicular to the cutting edge (ala a paint scraper)

-I've got to stop now - I feel the h-j's coming on.

-whatever

-Lou

Go to classicshaving.com, "how to ... and why" and look at the section on honing. It has a detailed explanation and ddescription of what each sensation means. Just remember that his is not a sharpness test but a test of the condition of the edge. You use a sharpness test, like the HHT after you pass this one.

You can also look at a document in my gallery entitled "An Organized Approach to Razor Sharpening."

Originally Posted by scarface

I've found some documents in Joe Lerch's gallery file that might be promising, but I'm having trouble opening them as PDF's

Click on the icon once, then on the next screen click on the name of the document where it looks like a link.

So, when I've done the test, I've always held the hair and cut it with the blade, but I recently read somewhere here that the blade is held stationary and the hair run accross the blade - am I not performing the test correctly?

Either way works, but an experienced guy on the Yahoo site did it by moving the razor and cut off the tip of his thumb, nail and all. It's easier to avoid that when you move the hair.

Originally Posted by xman

I can only detect massive imperfections in the edge with this test

I'm not sure I understand this. THere are different sensations for different impefections, and I find it the most reliable test of a wire edge (other than a microscope.

The Hanging Hair test ... running the hair along the edge is inappropriate as far as I can tell.

Ture, but it's agood test to tell you if you're almost there, just like popping instead of a quiet dismemberment.