Thread: Is my razor sharp enough? HHT says NO! Your thoughts?

Originally Posted by fccexpert

The HHT says nothing. It is a parlor trick that has very little if anything to say about how well the razor will shave.

I am certain that this minority opinion of yours will be shared by the same people who subscribe to your other minority opinions.

Kind splashes,
Robin

Originally Posted by fccexpert

The HHT says nothing. It is a parlor trick that has very little if anything to say about how well the razor will shave.

Not sure about parlour tricks (where do i find a parlour these days to do my tricks in??), however it is an _indicator_ of the sharpness of a razor, not _proof_ of its shave readiness. The only proof that a razor is shave ready (imho) is to actually shave with the thing.

Having said that, there are _many_ indicators, all of which are discussed in the wiki and the myriad of threads here on this topic that are raised from the dead almost hourly.

My razors will pass the HHT test very nicely up until the final hone I use.

After the final polishing on my last stone the HHT no longger will work with any of the blades I have honed on it.

BUT, the resulting shaves are by far better than anything I have had, and are much more comfortable than were I to leave out the last stone.

Trust the shave test.

Hmmm...

I suppose the ultimate way to tell if a steak is done is to eat it.

Or you could use a thermometer for the temperature test.

A skilled chef can tell the differences from rare to well done just by poking the steak with a finger. Would you be happy if your steak came to table with a bite out of it instead?

Anyway, the point is that razor sharpness tests are very much the same. If done correctly and after acquiring the needed skill, you can accurately judge the condition of your razor prior to lathering up and shaving.

Or you can just skip to the shaving. The problem there is that you may find yourself repeating the lathering/ shave test cycle many times before you get what you're after. Just like the above chef might find himself having steaks returned time and time again to re-cook if he never learns a few good "doneness" tests.

Depends on how adept you want to become at this art.

Originally Posted by honedright

Hmmm...

I suppose the ultimate way to tell if a steak is done is to eat it.

Or you could use a thermometer for the temperature test.

A skilled chef can tell the differences from rare to well done just by poking the steak with a finger. Would you be happy if your steak came to table with a bite out of it instead?

Anyway, the point is that razor sharpness tests are very much the same. If done correctly and after acquiring the needed skill, you can accurately judge the condition of your razor prior to lathering up and shaving.

Or you can just skip to the shaving. The problem there is that you may find yourself repeating the lathering/ shave test cycle many times before you get what you're after. Just like the above chef might find himself having steaks returned time and time again to re-cook if he never learns a few good "doneness" tests.

Depends on how adept you want to become at this art.

I like the analogy and I agree with it to a point. Where I differ is that steak is steak and hair is not all the same. In my recent experiment with my hair I found that even a new SE and DE blade had trouble passing HHT with my fine hair. This is no big thing for me.

I can tell by a TPT and by popping hair on my arm or leg, without touching the skin, where my keenness level is. For so many new guys if a razor doesn't pass HHT they are convinced that it isn't shave ready and that ain't , as George Gershwin said, necessarily so.

I'd have to +1 on the suggestion to buy a shavette (or something like it) to be absolutely sure whether or not it's the blade that's the issue...

Either way it's a great excuse to go get yourself another new blade to play with

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I like the analogy and I agree with it to a point. Where I differ is that steak is steak and hair is not all the same. In my recent experiment with my hair I found that even a new SE and DE blade had trouble passing HHT with my fine hair. This is no big thing for me.

I can tell by a TPT and by popping hair on my arm or leg, without touching the skin, where my keenness level is. For so many new guys if a razor doesn't pass HHT they are convinced that it isn't shave ready and that ain't , as George Gershwin said, necessarily so.

Risking belaboring the point, if I may, a barber who daily shaves many different beard types, and maybe having only a few razors at his disposal, comes to mind.

While it's certainly possible that this barber's razors might at times painfully pull on the beards of some of his customers, requiring him to stop to re-hone and strop his razor, or worse, continuing to shave and torture his victim, I'm guessing that the successful barber of days-gone-by very likely learned methods to judge the keenness of his blades that was appropriate for most beards.

The alternative seems too time consuming, and/ or barbarous .

Of course I may be wrong.

Originally Posted by honedright

Risking belaboring the point, if I may, a barber who daily shaves many different beard types, and maybe having only a few razors at his disposal, comes to mind.

While it's certainly possible that this barber's razors might at times painfully pull on the beards of some of his customers, requiring him to stop to re-hone and strop his razor, or worse, continuing to shave and torture his victim, I'm guessing that the successful barber of days-gone-by very likely learned methods to judge the keenness of his blades that was appropriate for most beards.

The alternative seems too time consuming, and/ or barbarous .

Of course I may be wrong.

You're probably right. Funny thing, I was talking to a barber I sometimes go to. He is 88 years old and still cutting hair. I asked him about honing and razors and he showed me a couple. What do you think he did to demonstrate their keenness ? A thumbnail test.

Another old time barber I met up with locally has one heck of a collection and won't turn loose of any of it. I told him that I love to hone straight razors and he immediately replied that it was a PITA and he was glad that they didn't do shaves anymore.

Anyhow.... I was talking to Lynn on the phone and lamenting the fact that I could only get razors to pass HHT sometimes. Lynn asked where I was getting my test hair from. Well I am pulling them out of a hair brush that is rarely cleaned and I wash my hair once a week whether it needs it or not.

Lynn pointed out that oil on the blade or on the hair may have a deleterious effect on the test. A freshly washed hair is a whole lot more likely to yield a satisfactory,i.e. ,successful result. OTOH, if I wasn't getting good shaves I would be concerned about it but I am so if they don't cut hanging hair .... well let them eat cake.

I'm so relieved I can read these threads, realize that despite the gently argumentative tone still understand what everyone is thinking, agree with everyone, see why beginners are so confused, and still get a decent nights sleep.

Like everyone has been saying, don't worry about the HHT. If it won't shave without you applying pressure, then it's dull. You may have rolled the edge stropping or something else.

Send it out, and DON'T strop it when you first get it back. If, when you do end up stropping it, it shaves poorly, then it's your technique and you can work on fixing that.

Good luck!