Thread: Tested with Coticule Razor Honing, fine linen Strop.Toilet paper cutting test.+HHT.

Originally Posted by CrescentCityRazors

Well, we saw you finished on a coticule with heavy slurry, and then we saw that your razor won't even cut TP. Your HHT looked a bit close, too. Supposed to be a half inch. My pocketknife probably passes HHT the way you do it and I would never shave with my pocketknife. If you are happy with your edge, great, I am happy for you. But when you come here and try to impress a forum of which a large percentage of the active members are professionals, and the rest are mostly very accomplished amateurs, you need to have your game on.

Professionals? That's a bit of a stretch. More like seasoned amateurs with a bunch of experience in experimentation. If it works well for him, I see nothing wrong with him coming here and sharing his formula for getting such an edge. No need to try and big time him.

I agree with the above statement.
And I agree that his stropping looks be hard on an edge. Way more aggressive stropping than I would do. Trying to cut toilet paper with an edge is not something I'd want to do either as cutting anything besides hair is a no-no to me.
But we all have our own way.
If not I'd be telling him to get rid of the Cotie and use a good stone to hone on. But I didn't. Lol.

We all have our way. If that's what works for him... Good for him. We all have an opinion of what keen is.

I refer to the old barber's method and use it in my own process. When there is no "sharp burr" on the edge, the toilet paper will not be cut, and the real edge can also pass the test of your own habits.

In this vid, it shows, when going slow, that the edge is trailing on the flat. ON THE FLAT, not with the strop rolling up over the edge. THAT is the difference that is hard on an edge.
JMO.
Back Quite!

Have looked at your vid.
Some slack is OK, but that looks like a bit much. And finish on leather is the norm.
Like the bunch of amateurs we are, just here to help.
Watched the other video as well. No comparison.
At the end of the day, if it works all well and good.

Hi TMILO,

Not familiar with toilet paper test. Is that supposed to test the sharpness or presence of burr? Where did you learn that?

Do you do use other stones or the unicot method?

If you want to strop like Liam Finnegan strop like Liam Finnegan. You're not doing that.

You are rolling your wrist & not rolling the razor in your fingertips like Liam. It is bad technique & you can introduce more pressure on the return stroke like this.
Liam's method also requires you to bias any pressure to the spine so the razor trails on edge.

As to the HHT with numbers it only means something to the individual & his own calibrated test. The hair you are using looks really thick so its cuticle will be quite coarse making it easy to cut.
Try the same test with a superfine hair, one you have trouble seeing if you really want to test your edge.
Also try any cutting tests as compared to a double edge razor blade. Yes they are not as smooth as a stropped edge but they are consistently manufactured to the optimal edge width of about 0.4 micron.

Originally Posted by JP5

Hi TMILO,

Not familiar with toilet paper test. Is that supposed to test the sharpness or presence of burr? Where did you learn that?

Do you do use other stones or the unicot method?

When there is no "burr" on the edge, the toilet paper cannot be cut, the skin is comfortable, and the shaving is smooth after passing through the HHT.
The toilet paper cutting test is for me to find less damage to the skin at the edge of HHT, and adding this test allows me to understand the state of the edge. I also refer to Unicot honing for other stones.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

If you want to strop like Liam Finnegan strop like Liam Finnegan. You're not doing that.

You are rolling your wrist & not rolling the razor in your fingertips like Liam. It is bad technique & you can introduce more pressure on the return stroke like this.
Liam's method also requires you to bias any pressure to the spine so the razor trails on edge.

As to the HHT with numbers it only means something to the individual & his own calibrated test. The hair you are using looks really thick so its cuticle will be quite coarse making it easy to cut.
Try the same test with a superfine hair, one you have trouble seeing if you really want to test your edge.
Also try any cutting tests as compared to a double edge razor blade. Yes they are not as smooth as a stropped edge but they are consistently manufactured to the optimal edge width of about 0.4 micron.

HHT is in my consideration, as you said, everyone will have different tests and hair thickness, I increased the toilet paper cut to make my edges not too sharp, like some people want HHT3~4, not HHT5. Thank you.

Originally Posted by TMILO

HHT is in my consideration, as you said, everyone will have different tests and hair thickness, I increased the toilet paper cut to make my edges not too sharp, like some people want HHT3~4, not HHT5. Thank you.

A better way to test for a burr is dragging some cotton wool lightly over the edge. It will catch on a burr especially if the burr is folded to one side but I'd be very surprised if a sharp razor doesn't simply "fall" thru a piece of toilet paper.

IME "too sharp" usually means a non optimally refined edge which feels harsh.
Smooth & maximum/optimal sharpness are not mutually exclusive but achieving that depends on many factors.