Thread: Shaves great, doesn't pass HHT

I have a Gold Dollar lying around, I won't shed a tear if I grind it away experimenting on hone progression lol. I might just do that, spend some time playing with the hones and focusing more on feel and feedback than technique and counting strokes.

It's quite easy to tell at the higher grit levels. The razor practically sticks to the 8k, C12k, and B.hones when it's close.

Originally Posted by Utopian

All such tests need to be calibrated. I've told this story many times before but here goes again.

....

So, if you have the arm hair of a three year old girl, like I do, then tree topping is not a viable test for you. The hair on my head is also quite fine; and so on the rare occasion that I feel the need to try an HHT, and for me it is rare, I pluck a chest hair and use that.

Not all hair is the same. For that reason, not all HHTs will perform the same. If your razors shave you well then that is the most important thing. IF you feel the need to keep playing with the HHT, then try out some other hairs!

The hairs on the top of my arms are tougher than the hairs on the bottom and inner elbow. It took awhile, but eventually I figured out how each region of hair corresponded to sharpness and shave quality, so my HHT is a fairly fine-resolution test.

Originally Posted by Cheferik

I'm new to honing my own razors. I have honed three different blades so far and I haven't had one pass the HHT. The issue I'm having is that they all have shaved great, not that that the issue. I just thought that it should pass that test since it shaves well. Any info on what's going on here?

I can get great shaves with razors that have trouble with my very soft arm hairs. For me it's the shave that counts.

Originally Posted by Cheferik

I'm new to honing my own razors. I have honed three different blades so far and I haven't had one pass the HHT. The issue I'm having is that they all have shaved great, not that that the issue. I just thought that it should pass that test since it shaves well. Any info on what's going on here?

Something I love to ask at this point in time with a new honer

How does your HHT work with a new DE blade ????

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Something I love to ask at this point in time with a new honer

How does your HHT work with a new DE blade ????

Also a get way to learn how a tpt should feel on the thumb

Never got a HHT with one of my razors and when i write this down im thinking never try to do that test. the only real test is shave, the rest is wath you hang on those tests

Originally Posted by kalerolf

Never got a HHT with one of my razors and when i write this down im thinking never try to do that test. the only real test is shave, the rest is wath you hang on those tests

Well this may be true, but a hht5 usually gives a good shave and is a great sign that your honing is done.

Imo the honing is done when the shave is supreme. Why need of a HHT when you have your face.
I have People seen doing a HHT with a good outcome and they have a bad shave with the same razor as they did a minute before a HHT.

Originally Posted by kalerolf

Imo the honing is done when the shave is supreme. Why need of a HHT when you have your face.
I have People seen doing a HHT with a good outcome and they have a bad shave with the same razor as they did a minute before a HHT.

When I am honing, I use my HHT (calibrated and all, with hair from the same strand every time, moistened, at approximately a 45 degree angle) along the later stages i.e. before finishing, when I'm trying to squeeze the last bits of keenness out of an edge. So I usually end up doing the HHT a bunch of times (usually three-four times) to check my progress.

This going back and forth between checking the edge and fine-tuning it would be nigh impossible with a shave test. For me, the HHT is a gauging tool before the finish more than a final result test, even though I do it at the very end just to make sure.

Oh, and I bet my HHT is more calibrated than most people's shave test. For me, even with the same shaving set-up my lather may vary, my skin varies and my focus varies. Which is why I don't use a standardised shave test; too many variables. I hone, I gauge, I hone some more, I gauge, I strop, I shave. If I feel the edge is not smooth enough, I do a bunch of strokes on water only on my coticule. Even if the problem was with my lather, skin or focus, there is no adverse effect in doing so.

And I never had an outright "bad" shave with a razor I honed and got a great HHT result on. Except the one where I didn't check the HHT at the tip. And it didn't cut stubble properly at the tip. The rest of the edge was smooth sailing.

Originally Posted by Cheferik

I'm new to honing my own razors. I have honed three different blades so far and I haven't had one pass the HHT. The issue I'm having is that they all have shaved great, not that that the issue. I just thought that it should pass that test since it shaves well. Any info on what's going on here?

You're like me, the HHT doesn't work for you for whatever reason.