Thread: my trying to hone

Originally Posted by BobH

I've never been able to get an HHT to work for me either. About my only test is at the bevel set stage and that is to make sure the blade cuts arm hair at skin level all along the edge. After that it is all checking with a loupe to see if I am getting all the way to the edge all along the blade at each stage. Then the shave test. Eventually you will find what works for you and what the indicators are for you.

Bob

It depends on the hair as much as the edge. I used to have the same issue with the HHT and the arm hair test. The first meet-up I attended was almost 10 years ago and there I watched Randy hone a razor and test the edge by tree-topping his arm hair. I eagerly asked to try out the razor on my arm hair. That was my first ever opportunity to try anyone else's edge. I was surprised to find that Randy's edge, like my own, would not tree top my arm hair or pass the HHT with my hair. I had read so many descriptions of edge testing on arm hair and the HHT and neither ever worked for me. I simply had assumed that I could not hone as well as the other guys on the forum.

It turned out that my edges were fine. The problem was that my hair was even more fine. I have the arm hair of a 3 year old girl and never have had any luck with either of the standard tests.

Fortunately, I do not have the chest hair of a three year old girl and have found that I can use that for the HHT.

Now, I am not suggesting that you use my chest hair for your tests. The point simply is that you need some sort of test that you can calibrate for a reproducible result. That hair can be from any part of your, or anyone else's, body. Just use whatever works for you.

Originally Posted by Utopian

It depends on the hair as much as the edge. I used to have the same issue with the HHT and the arm hair test. The first meet-up I attended was almost 10 years ago and there I watched Randy hone a razor and test the edge by tree-topping his arm hair. I eagerly asked to try out the razor on my arm hair. That was my first ever opportunity to try anyone else's edge. I was surprised to find that Randy's edge, like my own, would not tree top my arm hair or pass the HHT with my hair. I had read so many descriptions of edge testing on arm hair and the HHT and neither ever worked for me. I simply had assumed that I could not hone as well as the other guys on the forum.

It turned out that my edges were fine. The problem was that my hair was even more fine. I have the arm hair of a 3 year old girl and never have had any luck with either of the standard tests.

Fortunately, I do not have the chest hair of a three year old girl and have found that I can use that for the HHT.

Now, I am not suggesting that you use my chest hair for your tests. The point simply is that you need some sort of test that you can calibrate for a reproducible result. That hair can be from any part of your, or anyone else's, body. Just use whatever works for you.

And do make sure you have permission first!

Kidding aside, I'm lucky that both my arm and chest hair work OK for HHTs. The only issue there is they work so well they can give a false positive. For example, a Torrey straight I was working on recently. It had some burrs near the toe, but tree-topped hair all along the blade. I didn't catch the issue until alter the shave test. Yet another learning experience.

Most of those tests don't work for me either. I have fine arm hair as well. I use leg hair to test the bevel setting stage along with TPT and TNT.

After that the next test is shaving. I use a loupe just to make sure there is no micro-pitting but for the most part after 1K I'm just guessing/going by experience and hone feedback.

I hadn't thought about chest hair before (not that I have a lot of that) but when I've shaved most accessible leg hair I guess I can now check for chest hair!

Great info. Ill try some other hairs. I did try my grandaughters hair and that didnt work. The wife cleans her brush out every time she uses it. I got cat hair? Hear kitty kitty. The wife would kill me.

Thanks all.

Just to throw an extra wrench into the works...

Not ALL of your hairs will cut the same way either. If you happen to be of the older persuasion, and have some gray hairs, those gray ones may cut differently than the ones clinging to their youth. I have found that my gray hairs seem to be more brittle and cut more easily.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Just to throw an extra wrench into the works...

Not ALL of your hairs will cut the same way either. If you happen to be of the older persuasion, and have some gray hairs, those gray ones may cut differently than the ones clinging to their youth. I have found that my gray hairs seem to be more brittle and cut more easily.

Well, I am of the older persuasion. 95% of my hair is grey. It seems to me that my hair is just very fine and grey now so it might not be the type that works like this HHT needs. I'll figure out something. Thanks Utopian for calling me an old man in a nice way. Ha.

It's all a matter of calibration. You CAN use gray hair, but then you always need to test with gray hair. You just need to look for a consistent response.

Originally Posted by Gasman

It will shave arm hair at skin level. Not above skin level and ive never been able to do the HHT. Maybe its my hair, i dont know. Ive just never been able to do the HHT. Even with a freshly honed razor by a Honmiester.

We can play around with this at the Denver meet.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I have found that my gray hairs seem to be more brittle and cut more easily.

I find the opposite. Not that I'm doubting your results. Just goes to show.

Well, it's probably due to the cool factor of your gray hair spending time on the stage.