How Do You HHT?

Ok. So I know that this topic can be controversial. It is a well accepted fact that the Hanging Hair Test is personal and highly subjective and the results do not transfer to others; however, according to the Wiki here at SRP "The HHT is one of several sharpness tests frequently used by those who hone straight razors".

I realize that some can't do the HHT because they either have no hair or the hair they have is difficult or impossible to use or they just don't know how to properly perform the test. A few people do not use the HHT because their skill level is beyond using it and they have a repeatable technique that is tested and proven so many times that they rarely stop to check the progress of a razor during the honing process and only test at the end with the Shave Test. Some others use only a Shave Test and do not believe that the HHT is useful. These are all valid opinions but I would like to stay away from the question to use or not to use it as this is highly personal and I would like to hear from the ones that do use it. If you are here to start an argument :argue: please refrain.:nono:

For those who do use the HHT-how do you use it? For example, is it pass/fail only? Do you use the 1-5 scale listed in the Wiki? Or is it some other method? I don't need help doing it or advice I would just like you to share your personal experience. For example, I try to make the test as hard as possible to pass by holding the tip end of the hair and performing the test as far out as possible, maybe 2-3 inches from where I am holding the hair. I try to be as consistent as possible in regards to the angle of the hair, hair sample, and speed I come down on the blade (very slowly). That is my routine when I am checking an edge. What is yours? How do you HHT?

For me I don't have enough hair to cut. So I go to my wife's hair brush. I take one and hold it in my left hand and eye level hanging straight down. with the razor in my right hand come as straight across as I can and cut the hair. I do this to several hairs and different places on the blade. now my wife is blonde and has very fine hair so if I cut it without the hair moving out of the way then the blade is ok to try on my face. really the face is the last test. or at least that's what I'm told and so far it's worked ok.

carefully.

My hair is super fine. Very thin hair and very bendy to match.

At 2-3" your never going to get my hair to cut, It'll just move up with the blade exerting absolutely nothing on the edge and not having any weight in the hair itself.

At 1" you get into that zone where the hair may deflect or may cut. You have to make sure the hair curls a little towards the blade direction. At this range I get one of a few responses.

No cut/deflection = not sharp enough
Razor sings on the hair = almost sharp enough
Partial cut = check the cut to see if it rode in the shaft and a retest - re strop
Cut and ping = sharp - re strop
Cut and fall = ready.

Thanks for the thread, at this point i've decided that I can't regrow my whiskers nearly fast enough to keep up the the shave-testing i want to do. I'm going to begin incorporating HHT into my honing in the hopes of a better "pass rate" and less re-testing.

I'm going to request some samples from salons nearby as mine and the dogs' hairs are too short and fine and sometimes skunky.

So although i don't have a regime in place. One is being developed. Will read along and let you know what i come up with. tnx

I use the HHT to make sure that there is a workable edge at 4K, then go to 8K. If not drop to 1K and repeat. Whenever I strop I do a bit of a tree top pass on my arm hair to make sure that I have a decent edge. Beyond that, test shave and feel.

Admittedly, I had the entire concept wrong. Something I must have overlooked. I'd been doing the AHT thinking I was doing the HHT. I look forward to trying it out. I have been relying on the shave test.

The past couple rehones on razors, I didn't even do an AHT. I paid careful attention to technique and had honed these razors before on these stones and, rightfully, had an idea of what to expect, I think. Improvement.

I'm definitely not saying the HHT is irrelavent(lol. I had the idea in my head totally wrong... Shakin' my head, bud.). I'd taken a known working methodology in the circle method and paid accute attention when re-honing. hen I shave. I'm going to try the HHT in the future... Apparently, I'd just "missed" that wiki and soldiered past it a ways back.

YMMV

I Shave............

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Originally Posted by Lynn

I Shave............

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You WOULD! :roflmao

I hone to shave not to cut hanging hairs. So I shave.

The thread is for HHT users as I read the title and OP. thanks.

Does the HHT use Chuck Norris to test if a razor is sharp :roflmao

I personally have found it useful as a "no-go" gauge only. I use it after 1k to see if it's ready to move on, among the other common tests, and then not again usually until the finisher.
So far, I have found that if it does not perform the HHT well here (this is where personal calibration probably comes in to play), then no sense waiting till morning to test it, it's not going to shave well. But on the flipside, it doesn't guarantee it's going to shave well if it DOES pass.
So no pass, I go back to the hone. If it does pass, just have to shave test to see.
Obviously if I get a new hone I have to recheck this, since I hear some will/will not perform the same with HHT but may be just as shave ready.
Anyway, those are my learnings as a novice honer.

I don't....I test on arm or leg hair while honing, but like others said, the real test is the shave.

I have tried hht, with my hair and my wife's, but did not have success at it so I moved on.

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Originally Posted by Crackers

Does the HHT use Chuck Norris to test if a razor is sharp :roflmao

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Chuck Norris doesn't shave, his beard grows to the perfect length and stops. (from the Chuck Norris facts website) :)

I have never been able to get a HHT for my hair. I did have a very soft and fine boar brush that i used hairs from a little bit but never really felt like it was an accurate test. I'd like to know more also. I just went and tried it again with my hair on my benchmark razor but nope. The hair needs to be super close and I'm out of my comfort zone there.

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Originally Posted by RezDog

I have never been able to get a HHT for my hair. I did have a very soft and fine boar brush that i used hairs from a little bit but never really felt like it was an accurate test. I'd like to know more also. I just went and tried it again with my hair on my benchmark razor but nope. The hair needs to be super close and I'm out of my comfort zone there.

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Yeah I've read that many times here, that it just doesn't work for a lot of people. Thus the caution to not rely on it unless you've calibrated to what works for you.
So far it's only worked for the no-go portion for me

I have found that the tops of the arm hair test or "tree topping" is a very similar test. I find that if I am able to take the tops off my arm hair that I can usually pass the HHT at some level.

When honing and refreshing off high grit stones, I may evaluate the edge by tree topping my chest or arm hair. However, I use only bevel observation and the TPT for the lower grit stones. How well the razor coming off high grit stones cuts chest or arm hair gives me a rough idea as to whether the razor is about ready for shaving. Nothing really matters except the shave and this is determined only by shaving. Even the shave test can be deceptive, if the beard is not well prepped before the test as it would be for an actual shave.

HTH

When a blade is already cutting leg hair halfway up from the skin (my arm hair doesn't work worth a damn), I sometimes use the HHT to narrow my focus to very specific areas of the edge. Mostly, though, I don't use it, since results vary with whatever product/shampoo my wife is using.

I don't use the conventional HHT, I use AHT (Arm Hair Test), but not during the honing progression, only after.
I've tuned in the test so I know how my hair will cut when the edge is ready for shaving.

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Originally Posted by Zephyr

I don't use the conventional HHT, I use AHT (Arm Hair Test), not during the honing progression, only after.
I've tuned in the test so I know how my hair will cut when the edge is ready for shaving.

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Thanks. That's very Interesting. How did you tune in the AHT? What do you look for?

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Originally Posted by Steel

Thanks. That's very Interesting. How did you tune in the AHT? What do you look for?

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After honing a unknown number of razors (I stopped counting around 500 a couple years ago) I've learned to know how my armhair will cut when the desired level of sharpness is reached.

For my hairs it means the razor should easily pop the hairs at least 1 cm above skin level, when it does, I know it's sharp enough, and as long as I use a progression with the stones I know well, I can also tell with pretty good accuracy that the smoothness required is at place.

I always hold the root end as it's a harder test to pass and start pretty far out and probe the edge at several points to identify any weak areas. Once I have an edge that drops hairs at least one inch out all along the edge I go to the shave test - this has worked very well for me. I also pay close attention to how the hair actually cuts - does it catch and cut, fall away, etc. My hair is a much harder test to pass than my wife's so I generally start with hers and then test one of mine or two.

John