Thread: Thoughts on HHT...

HHT was a bit of a fad in days past, but most found it is so fickle that it does not consistently reflect shaving ability.

Most of us, me included use it as a test (tree topping arm hair) during honing to insure we are continuing in the right direction across the whole edge, (does the toe or heel, need a bit more work?) and not a definitive edge test.

Your question about tooth, is probably valid. As butchers know well you can tailor an edge to the task and for cutting meat or skinning a toothy edge can be beneficial as opposed to a razor edge or folks would be skinning with straight razors. Scalpels are not that sharp, for cutting skin and tissue, skin is surprisingly tough.

One could easily test this theory, by creating a mirror bevel, laser straight edge with high grit .3um film, (about 60k grit) and sub-micron CBN or Diamond paste, up to .10 (200,000 grit) easily obtainable or finer to .005um 3.2 million grit, not so easily obtainable. Any thing over about 20k is near or mirror polish and very straight edge. An edge begins to get very straight at about 8k.

They will still cut my arm hair for me. But I will be damned if, I can tell the difference between a .10um CBN edge and a fine Jnat or Ark edge for cutting arm hair. Shaving is another matter, readily determined by smoothness of the skin, weepers and/or discomfort, for me. .25um is about the most my skin can handle.

What does matter is stropping. Try this yourself. You try an HHT and it does not pass, strop on linen and leather and it passes. Stropping on leather straightens the fin, the very thin edge, probably not removing much metal, stropping on linen depending on the linen can remove metal, microscopically and straighten the fin, but not like flatter, smoother leather.

Add to that different leather can vary in abrasive quality, depending on the leather, how tanned and cared for. There is a leather strop progression, but for the average guy whacking whiskers, is TMI.

What highly polished super straight edge produce are also super thin edges, that while they shave well for a while, shaving and stropping will cause the fin, the very edge to flex and break off causing Micro Chipping down the road.

Even a “mirror polished bevel has stria, and micro serrated edge, we just cannot see it at 400X. You can on an SEM.

Your mileage may vary…wildly but can be some fun for us edge obsessed.

To kind of put into perspective, I saw a video of a guy slicing a tomato with a Wooden knife. What does that say about those that swear about Tomato cut test, what would that shave like?

To me it says, he can cut tomatoes with his wooden knife. Yes, the tomato test can work for edge testing, but really it just means you can cut a tomato and or are headed in the right direction with sharpness.

What your question says, is you have stopped circling and are descending into the abyss…

Wooden knife video

Like @gssixgun advised use a DE blade to gage your HHT but I use an old badger shave brush for the hair instead of what’s in the hairbrush

descending into the abyss…

Yep, thats me. I got to quit thinking about these thing so deeply.
Its just sharpening, right?

Originally Posted by Jnatcat

Like @gssixgun advised use a DE blade to gage your HHT but I use an old badger shave brush for the hair instead of what’s in the hairbrush

Check your edge under a microscope after using anything coarser than human hair. You may get a shock.

"What your question says, is you have stopped circling and are descending into the abyss…"I feel so empty now.

Reminds me of the Neitzche quote: "If you stare long enough into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you."
-"I just wanted to hone razors, Dr.-really!"
-"Now try to stay calm, Mr. SRP man. You know we don't allow sharp objects in here. Maybe you can make something with the popsicle sticks during craft time."

I can concur to what the strop can do. None of my edges will pass the HHT till after a strop progression. I've calibrated on my wife's hair, my hair, and guard hairs from both of my cats. Mostly my wife's, and my gray hairs.

Once stroped, the hair only needs to touch the edge and it pops freely without bending the hair, nor any ringing from the blade.

As I've said before, the edge doesn't end on the hone,..... it stops at the strop. And yes, shampoos and conditioner's make a huge difference, as well as hair types. Its relative to why certain finishing hones work for some and not others. ( keen VS very keen )

Jerry knows what I mean, I've worked with him on finding his optimal edge for some time. Even sent him an edge that was, too keen. He didn't believe it was so, but does now.

HHT to me is just a test to the edge from its toe to heel, if I get the same results the entire length of the edge, then comes the shave test, the truest of tests.

Originally Posted by outback

I can concur to what the strop can do. None of my edges will pass the HHT till after a strop progression. I've calibrated on my wife's hair, my hair, and guard hairs from both of my cats. Mostly my wife's, and my gray hairs.

Once stroped, the hair only needs to touch the edge and it pops freely without bending the hair, nor any ringing from the blade.

As I've said before, the edge doesn't end on the hone,..... it stops at the strop. And yes, shampoos and conditioner's make a huge difference, as well as hair types. Its relative to why certain finishing hones work for some and not others. ( keen VS very keen )

Jerry knows what I mean, I've worked with him on finding his optimal edge for some time. Even sent him an edge that was, too keen. He didn't believe it was so, but does now.

HHT to me is just a test to the edge from its toe to heel, if I get the same results the entire length of the edge, then comes the shave test, the truest of tests.

A man after my own heart or +1, as they say. I have noticed on coticules, thuringians and jnats HHT before stropping= no go (or slow go) and after = effortless pass. For me, it is different with a synthetic edge. I can pass before and after stropping. It leads me to believe that the shape of an edge from a natural is different at the apex then a synthetic but that is just MY theory. Plus, as was said above, HHT root in is different then HHT root out. Much different!

I like and use the HHT, you need to calibrate your results of the test with the shave.

I have never gotten a good shave from a blade that failed my HHT, not even close.

Here is my best HHT ever