Thread: First Attempt at Honing

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Keep at it and you'll will be honing consistently in no time.

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I am using this thread to make a honing query ! Suppose I honed a new razor and it passes HHT and thumbpad test to my satisfaction, need it keep passing HHT with each subsequent shave, or should it keep passing HHT before each time I get to shave with it before my next honing session with it. I find that stropping temporarily increases sharpness but it may not always result in blade getting back in HHT condition as was the case immidiately after honing.

But the razor shaves well nevertheless, the result after XTG is more than adequate, so does the edge need to be 100% sharp all the time or is it just an OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) to want it to be that way each time I pick it up to shave.

HHT is just an indicator. The shave is the true test.

“Suppose I honed a new razor and it passes HHT and thumbpad test to my satisfaction, need it keep passing HHT with each subsequent shave, or should it keep passing HHT before each time I get to shave with it before my next honing session with it.”


Well, that is personal preference, I am constantly amazed by the quality of edges that folks shave with.

Personally, I do not see why anyone would shave with a sub-par edge. For new straight razor shavers, it is not uncommon for stropping to be an issue for maintaining edge quality. Theoretically you should be able to maintain a razor on just leather and linen, surely it is easier with paste.

Whenever I feel an edge is flagging during a shave, I stop and look at it or pick up another razor. Looking at an edge with magnification is the most conclusive test for a shave ready edge.

HHT is notoriously inaccurate. HHT and TPT will not detect a chip.

Are you going to be at the Denver Meet on Saturday ???

You're a braver man than I am Gunga Din!

I started with only ONE straight razor.

That way, if there was something drastically wrong with my technique:

I would only ruin one razor,
Learn from my mistakes and
Try again with a new method on a new razor.

The hardest part for me was knowing what to expect at each step along the way. That for me was the hardest part because its so difficult to explain. People can tell you, in theory, what that is but its not easy to recognize in practice. Greater experience helps establish expectations. Until I had a sense of expectations, I was very much in the dark. But its always good to start with some level of success since it gets you in the right frame of mind. So congrats on the promising start.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Are you going to be at the Denver Meet on Saturday ???

I will be there. I look forward to meeting you. Vic talked a lot about you at the spring meet. I have also watched a lot of your videos on YouTube.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

HHT is notoriously inaccurate. HHT and TPT will not detect a chip.

Humor me on this once ? What really happens when during an X-Stroke on leading edge both ways, i.e one brings it both from right to left and left to right. Thus making a cross pattern of scratches on the edge.

My intuition is that though this will build an edge, the resultant scratches on the edge will not be in a single direction. The abrasive quality of the edge that helps during HHT is the micro serrations at the very tip of the edge that are all in single direction. As a result of this, this razor may shave but not do HHT. Or is this counterproductive and not hold this edge for long due to more pressure on the edge.

Originally Posted by almond

Humor me on this once ? What really happens when during an X-Stroke on leading edge both ways, i.e one brings it both from right to left and left to right. Thus making a cross pattern of scratches on the edge.

My intuition is that though this will build an edge, the resultant scratches on the edge will not be in a single direction. The abrasive quality of the edge that helps during HHT is the micro serrations at the very tip of the edge that are all in single direction. As a result of this, this razor may shave but not do HHT. Or is this counterproductive and not hold this edge for long due to more pressure on the edge.

X stroke is heel to toe, so there shouldn't be any cross hatching, varying the angle slightly between hones can help to see where you are at.
HHT is unreliable, TPT doesn't work for me either, as my thumbs are made of leather.
TNT at 1k will detect chips and has the added benefit of jointing the edge.
Don't get too wrapped up in these tests, the shave test is the only one that counts...