Thread: Hanging hair test question.

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

For me, the HHT is just an indicator that a blade has reached a minimum level of sharpness. It shows that a good edge has been established and is ready to be polished. I can pass the HHT off of a 4K hone with ease and at times even off of a 1K hone. But you definitely wouldn't want to shave with those edges.

+1 Here
I think Josh really summed this up well......
I believe all 3 "tests" are just that, tests, they do not determine how good the shave is going to be (that would be the 'shave test') they determine the condition of the edge. The first test TNT tells you that you don't have any rough spots, wire edges, etc: Then you go to the TPT, which tells you that the edge is getting sharp... Then you try the HHT, which tells you that yes, you did get the edge pretty darn sharp, and it will cut hair, now get to work and make it smooth too.....

I agree with Glen in that no test is the be all and end all. They each give you some information about the edge, and you have to learn to interpret that information.

One other thing I should have mentioned is that if you're cutting hairs along parts of the blade but not others, you might have a wire edge. A wire edge acts like a really sharp edge until you get to the shave test, at which point it betrays you.

Others have written about the "quality" of the cut you get on the HHT, and that can be very telling. A little ping when the hair cuts might mean the edge is dull but toothy. A silent slice is a good sign.

Keep at it,
Josh

On the question of grabbing, dragging, or what ever you want to call it. Doesn't this also have a bit to do with how tough/thick the beard is? I know that on the sharpest of blade, I still get a bit of drag..

btw, also, does anyone agree with stropping the blade "While" shaving? For example, you do 5 or 6 strokes, rinse off the blade, strop 5 or 6 rounds and then resume?

thanks for your input.

Originally Posted by MD11

..

btw, also, does anyone agree with stropping the blade "While" shaving? For example, you do 5 or 6 strokes, rinse off the blade, strop 5 or 6 rounds and then resume?

thanks for your input.

I don't know about that much stropping, but I do believe in stropping between passes.... An example would be: WTG pass, rinse, re-lather, strop 10-15 laps, XTG pass, repeat above process, ATG pass, rinse and done!!!!
Hope that made some sense

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

For me, the HHT is just an indicator that a blade has reached a minimum level of sharpness. It shows that a good edge has been established and is ready to be polished. I can pass the HHT off of a 4K hone with ease and at times even off of a 1K hone. But you definitely wouldn't want to shave with those edges.

If parts of your blade are passing the HHT and others aren't, I'd guess you need to do some more work on the hones before you'll get a comfortable shave.

Have a great day,
Josh

+1 This has been my experience as well.

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

If parts of your blade are passing the HHT and others aren't, I'd guess you need to do some more work on the hones before you'll get a comfortable shave.

This is very important. A very critical factor in honing is uniformity. The goal for the honer is to achieve, as close as possible, a perfect, uniformly honed edge from point to heel.

The HHT, as JoshEarl mentions above, is one way to quality control for this. And another way is, of course, the TNT (thumb nail test).

If you find that your razor is either sharper, duller, or even over-honed at different sections along the edge, you will never get that optimally comfortable, close shave.

Yes, more work on the hones is going to be needed, but...consider your technique first. An unevenly honed edge is a good indicator that something in your honing stroke could be a little off.

Scott