My hone wont pass the hanging hair test

[robwolfgang]

G'day guys first time poster here. I have a 4000 and 10000 grit waterstone( both japenese).
My razor honed recently wont pass the hanging hair test but passes the shave test and thumbnail test.
I spent 1.5hrs on honing on the 4000 grit and 0.5hrs on the 10000 grit stones but my blade just won't cut a free standing hair

[Mikael]

The important thing is how it shaves, if good you have done a good job.

HHT test depends on what hair you use + some razors are shave ready even though not passing HHT.

[gooser]

The important thing is how it shaves, if good you have done a good job.

HHT test depends on what hair you use + some razors are shave ready even though not passing HHT.

+1
all mine shave good to me and after trying about 15-20 HHT with none passing i gave up and just use the shave test ...lol

[Jmveness]

+1
all mine shave good to me and after trying about 15-20 HHT with none passing i gave up and just use the shave test ...lol

Absolutely well said and thanks for this thread. I tried unsuccessfully to achieve the HHT as well. The real test for me is how the shave looks and the alum bloc feels on my skin afterwards.

[kalerolf]

What Mikael said
.
Forget the HHT use your shave for standard.

[BobH]

Just what all the others have said. I still don't know what a HHT is and miraculously my razors will still shave so that is good enough for me.

Bob

[Bruno]

You should only need a minute or 2 on the 10000 grit.
By the time you start using that, it should only take 10 to 20 laps to get wher you want to be.
If you spent half an hour on the 10000 grit, it either means it was way too early to get to the 10000 grit, or your technique is really not correct.

[JimmyHAD]

You should only need a minute or 2 on the 10000 grit.
By the time you start using that, it should only take 10 to 20 laps to get wher you want to be.
If you spent half an hour on the 10000 grit, it either means it was way too early to get to the 10000 grit, or your technique is really not correct.

^ what he said. Having said that, while everyone else is also right ..... the shave is the supreme test .... I predict you won't stop trying to attain HHT with your personally honed razors. If your experience is similar to mine you will eventually begin to successfully get positive HHT tests down the road.

[ruday555]

Try a good leather stropping, maybe 30-40 laps and then try the HHT, should work.

[unit]

Taking a razor that shaves well then questioning it because of a HHT is a bit like taking a winning race car to the engine dyno. It's information, but you already won the race...who cares if it does something razors are not meant to do?

OTOH, the hobby side of sharpening and honing may have some *wanting* to do the HHT for novelty sake. If this is the case, try with a variety of hairs. Pubic hair is very coarse typically and generally from a high humidity area (if freshly cultivated) and generally will demonstrate a successful HHT with a moderately sharp razor or knife. By contrast, one of my son's ultra fine blond hairs that has been in the brush drying out for weeks requires a MUCH sharper blade to pass. I trust you will find great variance in hair you find in your surroundings. All things equal, a dry hair will show fail, but after moistening it for a few minutes it may show a pass.

This may sound silly, but the HHT topic goes into a silly direction at times. I'm not trying to be funny or nasty. It is just observation.

If you really want to get deep read up on HHT-1 through HHT-5.

For shaving, there is no better proof of blade performance than a shave