Thread: Test Shaving, your specifics please.

All righty then, everybody shave tests.

So then, let's discuss the particulars of your shave tests, especially those who test more than one razor per shave. I've seen Glen's video shave test. My sideburns prevent me from having a big swath from my ear to my jawline. I adapt. And Glen just showed the one razor, he didn't show how he tested the half-dozen he was honing. Or did he.

How many razors can you sort with one shaving session? My limit is around three but i'm still a bit fresh at this. I do love a 2-blade showdown where I shave one half with one razor, and the other half with the other razor, then switch sides for second pass. Also, my upper lip and chin are where i go for a quickest test-of course one has to test the blade in sections where he can't get a full-width pass there, i can't anyway.

I "fall back" to a known great shaver to clean up if none of the testers are up to it. This is how i get the most irritation and least close shaves, with these sometimes long, extended test-shaving sessions where some re-stropping/touch-up honing may happen right in the middle of the shave.

A non-test-shave is always a treat for me. Faster, closer, comfortable er with a known sweet edge.

How many razors can you test at once? Isn't ATG the ultimate test?

I have tested 3 on a single shave, but I feel like a full shave including ATG is a much better indicator. I feel pretty confident in my ability to test the shave readiness of a blade I've honed now by looking at it under a 30x loupe and testing that it will treetop arm hairs across the length of the edge. Outside of that, I usually just do 1 razor, 1 full shave.

Originally Posted by WadePatton

How many razors can you test at once? Isn't ATG the ultimate test?

That "Shave Test Vid" had nothing to do with "Me", I did it for the beginner to understand the very basics/minimum idea of what a razor has to do to be considered shave ready, but then again it says that many times in the vid

What you are discussing is the next stage of testing, designed for the person honing the blade(s), how does one test an edge as a honer,,, not as the one receiving the blade.. Each person tends to have their own "Test" spot if they are simply honing for themselves, that spot that determines for them if the razor is really up to snuff...

People that hone and test multiple razors have a certain feel they are after, that they develop over time and many razors, so again what works for me might not be what works for you...
You said you are up to 3 razors, as you have the need to hone more in one day, you will adapt the tests that you are using to encompass the extra razors as you hone more and more your tests will become more consistent.. Honing multiple razors is always about consistency, from the bevel set to the shave test that you use, you will find that you have certain stages that you expect to see as the razor progress through your honing sequence.. You will find that you might start the day with say 8 razors on the table to hone and end up at the sink with only 6 because 2 failed to pass through the stages and were held back for more honing...
These are just things you have to develop as you hone more razors...

However yes, I personally feel you are correct that a razor has to pass the ATG test also -BUT- so does the person shaving with the razor
That statement circles back to the "Shave Test" vid I did, and why I did it exactly that way, it was designed for a beginner, an experienced shaver will have their own "Shave Tests" for a razor, they don't need a guy on a vid explaining it to them...


edit: As you can already see with the responses, we have to be careful with what we portray to the beginners, as all three of us have said that we consider the ATG pass as our indicator, yet reading in the forums one can easily find multiple posts of beginners having trouble with their first ATG attempts because one must not only have a Sharp razor but also develop the skills to use that blade..
This is something that one must always differentiate..

I don't shave against the grain,,,,I tested 3 razors this past week(still testing them) off a Zulu. My everyday shave consists of 2 passes WTG,,if a razor is being tested, it must give a close comfortable shave with just 1 pass (entire face).

I rarely test more than one at a time, mostly because I'm only looking at my own razors, occasionally for my kids. I will do two at a time if I've really been hitting the hones hard. I do a full half shave in that case. One razor for each side of my face. The big test of a great edge and a great shave, which is two separate items, is how my skin feels and what the regrowth is like after 12 hours or so.

When I hone for others, I have a two pass test in a small area on my face. For instance, I honed up four yesterday and tested each of them on about a 1"x1" area WTG and XTG. I can get a good feel for an edge with that.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

...You said you are up to 3 razors ...

I'm up to test-shaving with 3 razors per one shaving session. I have 30-ish of my own and have worked on several for others. I have tried to test as many as six, but didn't feel like that produced good results. I'm mostly just working through my pile. Two are perfect. Many are very good. Others, just don't make sense or i get bored with them and lose my mental notes focus, run out of arm hairs...paper and pen should help, i have to work on my execution of the plans.

Originally Posted by ne0nblakk

... I feel pretty confident in my ability to test the shave readiness of a blade I've honed now by looking at it under a 30x loupe and testing that it will treetop arm hairs across the length of the edge. Outside of that, I usually just do 1 razor, 1 full shave.

Yeah, with my three or four shaves per week, I can't test nearly as many as i can hone. AS to the loupe, I finally got sick and tired of trying to focus and avoid my nose with the "30/60x" unit I have and ordered a USB jobbie. Have a laptop to dedicate to that porpoise.

We all know that visual inspection whilst honing is a very good thing, but that too much can be distracting and even misleading if one is not careful. I'm trying to be careful, but have some edges that i really want a good look at and feel that i can incorporate a much FASTER and EASIER inspection to the process when not fiddling with sharp steel 1/4 inch off my schnout. And I can share the images if need be. Maybe yous guys (y'all) can see something i cannot...

At some point in time.

Here's kinda what i was looking for and thanks:

Originally Posted by hillbillypick

When I hone for others, I have a two pass test in a small area on my face. For instance, I honed up four yesterday and tested each of them on about a 1"x1" area WTG and XTG. I can get a good feel for an edge with that.

__disclaimer__ ATG is for experienced shavers only __disclaimer__