Thread: Haven't been here in awhile - need some advice on honing

I haven't been on the forum for awhile. Just starting to get back into using my straight razor. I have a Belgium Coticule - green. I have watched numerous videos on their website on honing. So I am working on my Thiers-Issard. I have re-set the bevel. Checked it with a mag glass then began using the elipticot method. Got it so that if I just touch the hairs on the arm they pop off. But for the life of me I can't get it to pass the HHT no matter. I've started over twice. Get to this point after honing and stroping and it just won't do the HHT.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

HHT is irrelevant. Just shave with it.

That is kind of what I thought

I haven't done a HHT in years, its irrelevant to evaluating if a razor will shave well or not. Too many people rely on that test and tend to hone a blade more than what is needed due to the results. The HHT doesn't prove the edge is keen and will shave well, just means the blade is sharp, I'll take a keen edge over a sharp edge...........

I believe that the ellipticot method is flawed. I think circles for heavy work yes but I want my scratch pattern to line up after that. I don't want scratches running parallel to the bevel.

I would try the unicot method. Truly will be the easiest method for anyone, especially someone just starting out with one. If your TI isn't shaving well.. you never said that. You only said it wouldn't perform on a HHT. I've had razors that shaved arm hair well and didn't pass the HHT and the shave was ropey (to steal that word from Gary Haywood) Have you shave tested it? that is the MOST IMPORTANT. Far more important then an HHT.

Any razor blade that I own or have successfully used a shark DE blade or one I've honed on my coticule passes the HHT with my girlfriends fine blonde hair. I don't use a number scale because that's open to a lot of ideas and interpretation. With my coticule edges the hairs do catch and pop off the stone and when I strop at 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch the hairs just fall off quietly- silently. I am guaranteed a good to amazing shave just going by the results of this... and the thumb pad test. Don't let HHT be your one test to rule them all.

If you're up for it... dull on glass, bring to shaving arm hair and dilute your slurry no circles, until you're on plain water. Test a hair along the edge and if you get a violin... you missed it, if you catch and pop here your dilution sequence was successful. No need to go any further, strop and shave. If you only got a violin / ringing sound. You could mess around with going back to light slurry to water again.. or

Add 1 layer of tape. Rinse your coticule and razor thoroughly. Perform water only strokes with light to no pressure.. ( I say this because some edges take longer then others.. Test your edge periodically to see if it's catching and popping hairs 1/2" away from where you're holding it. Keep doing water only laps until it can do this. It shouldn't take long if you were very close on your dilutions but just missed keen enough.

I have found this method works but give it a try yourself. It's like unicot but without the slurry when the tape is added I find that unnecessary, especially if I almost made it on dilucot.

Some edges are easy to hone just on dilucot and others not. This method makes all edges easy to tame with only a coticule while being beginner friendly. I do salute Bart for coming up with the different coticule methods.

Keep practicing with your stone and remember not all finish the same, some max out at a less refined keenness.. It all depends on the stone itself.

Good luck!

Solitarysoldier, thank you for explaining that. To clarify. I used black tape and reset the bevel yesterday, sharpened it using the Unicot method to hair popping on my arm. I then stropped and shaved a 30 hour growth. The razor caught and skipped. I re-lathered twice and gradually worked my way down. The finished shave was close. Today, I rehoned the TI and stropped, shaved and it was smooth. No skips or grabbing. Will do the arm hair perfectly. I realize the HHT test is over rated but in the past, it and my other razors in my rotation shaved good and managed the HHT. I have a DOVO, A DD Satinedge, a small Schraber, a J. Rodgers and a Champion. I've used the dullicot and it works fine. I will try again following your steps with the dilution

I just finished my little Schraber - passes the HHT test fine all along the blade.

What did you do differently?

I find the HHT is a great party trick and that's it. Show your friends how you can pop a hair out of the air and they think it's bad ass. But it doesn't mean much when it comes to a shave. I've had razors fail HHT tests and still deliver a great shave. Shave with it, and use that as your test.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

What did you do differently?

If you're up for it... dull on glass, bring to shaving arm hair and dilute your slurry no circles, until you're on plain water. Test a hair along the edge and if you get a violin... you missed it, if you catch and pop here your dilution sequence was successful. No need to go any further, strop and shave. If you only got a violin / ringing sound. You could mess around with going back to light slurry to water again.