Thread: The Thumb Tests

Originally Posted by honedright

Questions:

1) How is a razor passing the HHT different from a razor cutting hair on the face?

2) If your razor can't easily grab and slice a hair sticking out from between your thumb and finger, then why would that same razor perform any differently on your beard?

3) Just as it is with the "thumb tests," Isn't it the "quality" of the HHT that matters?


Scott

Sott - I'm assuming those questions are for me - apologies if they're rhetorical.

1. I find the hair anchor point is different between the HHT and a shave. And the blade is touching the skin for a shave. And the whiskers on my face, especially when short (like after one day post shave) lie at different angles to the blade when it cuts. I guess I feel the HHT is a simulated shave, and I've had enough experience with simulations in my life to know they can't possibly reflect all the nuances of the real thing;

2. One reason might be the hair you use for the HHT. If it doesn't approximate your facial hair very well, you might not pass the HHT but get a good shave nonetheless;

3. I agree 100%. It's just that, for me, a pass on the HHT, even a high quality pass, isn't the end of the story.

I mean, and this is a genuine question because I'm ignorant of what the honemeisters actually do, but do honemeisters pass the HHT (or any other non-shave test, for that matter) and send back the razor straight away, or do they test shave first? If they test shave, why?

James.