Quote Originally Posted by ocelot27 View Post

I think the point is that sharpness does not always equate to shave ready - a razor may not pass various objective tests and still shave great.

-john
Exactly right.
While HHT tells you sharpness it does not tell you how well the shave will be.
Looking at the bevels and close to the edge for certain indicators, with experience, tells if the razor will shave well or not. For that to work one has to have experience honing, know what to look for and know their stone progression very well. Even then a shave test is necessary because there can always be a surprise coming from faulty HT of the razor or edge not stable enough etc.
A lot of variables but with time all comes in place very nicely.