Thread: Hanging Hair Test, parlor trick or useful?

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I think people are more than capable of learning to use the HHT on their own and getting something useful from it by taking the time and trouble to calibrate their results. .

Jimbo Roo you just answered your own question

Although I freely admit I pick and choose my battles, you will not find me under the car on a Sunday afternoon changing the oil, and yes I know how, I do change the oil on the big tractor but only because I can't quite drive it to the dealership every time It comes down to what you want to spend time on...

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

I think using a standard material is a good idea, and have experimented a little with very fine monofilament. While I haven't found a good material, if found I believe it would improve the HHT usefulness for the entire community. HOWEVER! The use of a standard material would still require calibration thru much use.

The main advantage it would give the community would be an enhanced ability to explain the HHT use to others. And, I haven't given up on finding a standardized material.

If we're talking fishing line, even monofilament varies a lot in abrasion resistance & other qualities. Unless everybody uses the exact same brand & style of mono there could be no standardisation.
Even the shave test has no standardisation or we wouldn't all prefer different razors.
If a razor shaves well AND passes the HHT for you, well & good... If a razor shaves well AND fails the HHT, the HHT has no relevance .

Every razor that passed the HHT shaved well for me. If it doesn't pass my HHT, then it either gets stropped some more or back on the stones. Since I do not have much hair on my head, I use chest hair for my HHT.

Originally Posted by Kees

But before you put the razor to your face you want a way to test the edge. HHT is the best for me.

Kees,
That's basically what I do.
Patrick

Like is pointed out in the Wiki, you can evaluate the razor depending upon how it cuts
the hair. Using the HHT, I can tell whether the blade is shave ready without having to
stop what I'm doing and shave with it. It's pretty convenient and has never let me or
my face down.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

... Explaining the mechanics is easy: it is not a difficult concept to describe holding a hair against an edge and seeing if it gets cut.....

You see videos where someone cuts hair with a blade and it is implied that this constitutes a successful HHT. With some people's hair cutting the hair does constitute success. But, many other people's hair it does not.

Why is the HHT sooooooo controversial ?????

Here is the rub and why many experienced guys downplay the HHT, simply put the HHT is a (possible) tool for the person honing the blade...
just like every other test....
The problem comes in because every Newb who doesn't know the first thing about Honing, Stropping, Prep, or Shaving comes along picks up a professionally honed razor and tries the HHT and then says "This razor isn't sharp it won't pass the HHT" by the time they ask enough people and get the right answer that the HHT doesn't mean anything, they have already either Mis-stropped, Mis-honed or tried a shave that was doomed from the minute they decided that the edge isn't sharp enough...

This is why so many of us try to downplay the importance of the HHT... to help out the newbies

Now you know and I know that when you are honing a razor there are many tests that each of us uses but most of them it is pretty obvious that they can damage a "Shave Ready" edge if used to test it... This has been spread around quite well, that using a TNT or a TPT, is not really smart on shave ready edge, but somehow we have failed in spreading that message about the HHT...
One reason is that it isn't really damaging, another is our own vanity, because somehow we think it is cool to have a razor that passes the HHT...
At least if you are going to insist on saying how great it is, please mention that it is only useful for the person honing the blade, just like the other tests are...

That is why there is a controversy and why we keep saying the shave test is the only test that matters...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Why is the HHT sooooooo controversial ?????

Here is the rub and why many experienced guys downplay the HHT, simply put the HHT is a (possible) tool for the person honing the blade...
just like every other test....
The problem comes in because every Newb who doesn't know the first thing about Honing, Stropping, Prep, or Shaving comes along picks up a professionally honed razor and tries the HHT and then says "This razor isn't sharp it won't pass the HHT" by the time they ask enough people and get the right answer that the HHT doesn't mean anything, they have already either Mis-stropped, Mis-honed or tried a shave that was doomed from the minute they decided that the edge isn't sharp enough...

This is why so many of us try to downplay the importance of the HHT... to help out the newbies

Now you know and I know that when you are honing a razor there are many tests that each of us uses but most of them it is pretty obvious that they can damage a "Shave Ready" edge if used to test it... This has been spread around quite well, that using a TNT or a TPT, is not really smart on shave ready edge, but somehow we have failed in spreading that message about the HHT...
One reason is that it isn't really damaging, another is our own vanity, because somehow we think it is cool to have a razor that passes the HHT...
At least if you are going to insist on saying how great it is, please mention that it is only useful for the person honing the blade, just like the other tests are...

That is why there is a controversy and why we keep saying the shave test is the only test that matters...

YES !! YES !! YES !! (this should actually sound as if Meg Ryan is shouting it)

Now, please, somebody make it stop.

It's actually more fun to talk about the HHT than it is to do it.

Originally Posted by stimpy52

YES !! YES !! YES !! (this should actually sound as if Meg Ryan is shouting it)

Now, please, somebody make it stop.

Glad I didn't have a mouthful of coffee when I read that