Thread: Popping arm or leg hair versus shaving arm or leg hair

I test the arm hairs at 4k. But I have really fine arm hairs so if the razor isn't sharp enough to shave with, it won't shave my arm hairs. My thicker leg hairs OTOH, dull blades will cut through with enough pressure. So, I completely agree, the different types of hair is a large factor in the arm hair test.

My wife notices and points out my leg and arm hair areas that get short and stubbly when I hone several razors at once. So....now I just borrow her hairbrush and use her hair to test with! Works great, because hers are long and stick up out of the brush....once I get the right feedback from my hones I do lots of hair popping until I am satisfied that the entire edge is ready to strop.

Update to my earlier post.

Found out that with smily wedges the arm hair test is absolutely worthless. Won't cut through the arm hairs, but chops right through my whiskers....

Originally Posted by Leighton

Won't cut through the arm hairs, but chops right through my whiskers

So now you just have to decide which is more important!

Originally Posted by Utopian

So now you just have to decide which is more important!

To tell the truth, my George Washington I sent off to Lynn was probably damn close to shave ready, I just didn't know it. Thats ok, now I can say I have one honed by Lynn. Well, until someone buys it anyway. (after I test shave of course)

Originally Posted by Leighton

To tell the truth, my George Washington I sent off to Lynn was probably damn close to shave ready, I just didn't know it. Thats ok, now I can say I have one honed by Lynn. Well, until someone buys it anyway. (after I test shave of course)

I bet it'll pop the arm hairs ....... fine or not. I do agree that if a razor doesn't and you are getting a satisfactory shave it doesn't matter. OTOH, I have extremely fine hair and if it doesn't pop arm/leg hair I don't get the same quality of shave. I hone it until it does. Just as an aside, IMHO shaving (while touching the skin) the arm or leg proves nothing. I can routinely do that with a pocket knife that I wouldn't dream of shaving with.

When I was a kid 12/13yr old if I could get one hair on the pocket knife blade I declared it to be razor sharp damned old worn out arkansas stone.

I use BHT-body hair test as a gauge rather that TPT. Both above and on the skin. On the skin you can feel the ease of cut and the smoothness of the edge, if it also clipping hair above the skin it is getting pretty sharp.