Is the HHT and mirror finish on the razor absolutely necessary ?

I have seen people doing the HHT on youtube without any effort which I am still unable to do on my razor. My razor is a 5"8 hollow ground. There was another one which a guy detailed how to get the perfect edge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRMu-WEaFNE

which included buying a lot of stuff from what I can see. I currently just have a normal strop and one 12k stone and one 8k. I have tried honing them but the best I can do is get the blade to where it can easily just shave off hair on my arm. My question is, is the HHT absolutely necessary to get the most comfortable shave in your gentlemen experience ?

Also, when sellers here say "shave ready" do they really mean the razor is passing HHT or just that it's comfortable enough to shave ?

I have read too people who swear by coticules say that a bit of pull and "feedback" on the razor is desirable. Hopefully some one can shed some light on this, as to a beginner this can be very confusing.

How does your HHT work on a new DE blade ???

Actually never really got the HHT to work say like this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoQAUNMV3oc

I only managed to get it to pop off after "playing" my razors edge with my hair like a violin.

The very short answer is no! The only thing that really matters is how it shaves.

As a new shaver don't worry about hht. It's only useful to a person honing a blade and then only after much trail and error.

The blade having a mirror finish is personal preference. I like my new razor to look new and my vintage to look vintage as such I leave patina on them.

Can you get a close comfortable shave with the stones and level of honing you can now achieve? If you can don't worry about the HHT or mirror polished blades or USB microscopes with 400X magnification. If you can't then the HHT and scope will just mess your mind because you don't know how to interpret what they are telling you. That is just my own opinion and I use neither but still manage to hone a razor.

Bob

I can feel after honing the razor feeling more comfortable, just that when I feel a slight stubble after that I am just wondering if it's my technique or just the razor not sharp enough. My problem area is my mustache area.

I have the pleasure of owning a razor honed by gssixgun and I am sure that when he honed it, it passed his HHT. But never, not once, was I able to get it to pass that test for me. My hair simply is not useful for such tests. Remember, each of us have different hair. Some fine, some course, some thick etc. Most of the quality sellers (at least this one) will test shave with a razor before calling it shave ready. (at least I THINK they do) Glen? :thinking:

Personally, I use HHT to gauge uniformity of the blade (does it cut the hair the same way in every portion of the blade). Once I feel I have suitable uniformity I go to the final and most important gauge of shave readiness (the shave test).

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting mirror polish and HHT, but these things are "wants", and shave readiness is the only real "need".

Then should the shave hand hair test is more important test and also does humidity play a factor in HHT? I live in wet Malaysia.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lowks

Then should the shave hand hair test is more important test and also does humidity play a factor in HHT? I live in wet Malaysia.

---

Humidity it absolutely critical....but if you are getting good shaves, I'd not waste worries with it unless seeing the razor perform such a feat will make you happier.

I "get" the concept that a happy shaver with a suitably shave ready blade wants to also see it cleave a free hanging hair. I merely suggest that this is entirely dependent on the hair and not the blade (if the suitably shave ready condition is met).