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

Okay, so I've been reading this forum for about a year, watched tons of straight shaving tutorials and have improved my technique a little bit over the past few months. But I still feel like my blade is holding me back (i know, i know, common newbie mistake!)....but here's my reasoning.

Tried the HHT with my hair (pretty thin) and it failed miserably. even when moving the blade pretty quickly and very close to where I was holding the hair (kinda scary!)

Also tried with my girlfriend's hair...she is asian so it's thicker black hair. Still no luck. I had to hold a long strand and basically hack at it at an angle (maybe 60 degrees) to get it to cut.

I like the razor itself...it's simple, nothing fancy, plain black scales, 5/8, roundpoint, extra hollow ground singing blade, made by AHACOWA (???)....should be a great blade for a newbie like myself, right? BTW, it was graciously donated (yes, DONATED!!!) to me by a member of this forum, for which I am truly grateful!

Anyhow, I've experimented with lots of different techniques, pulling skin tight, not pulling it tight, different angles of the blade, wtg, xtg, atg, even a couple different soaps (using Tabac now which i love!)....I'm shaving right after I get out of a hot shower and applying hot Tabac lather with a good best badger brush (like the exfoliation of it vs. silvertip)....nonetheless, when I shave, the blade seems to bind on my whiskers....at very aggressive angle it just drags some whiskers out, leaving others in place (along with a healthy dose of razor burn)... at less aggressive angles (45 degrees or so) it just scrapes against my face and doesn't do much. In between it just binds up and I have to force it through the first 1/4 inch or so until it seems to cut with the momentum I have built up from the initial "jump start" as it were.

Anyhow, after I'm done I feel like somebody has taken a flame thrower to my face....my beard is very thick and stubbly (think bruce willis or tom waits...seriously, I get a 5 o clock shadow @ noon!)...but still, this should be no problem for a super sharp blade, right? That said, I can use a Mach 3 cartridge for a couple weeks before it starts to irritate my skin even a little....my blade has gotta be sharper than a used mach 3 blade(s) right???

BTW, I'm using a Tony Miller 3" Latigo strop with a tiny little bit of vitamin E oil to give it more draw so I can use as little pressure as possible. I'll admit my stropping technique isn't great, but it should be good enough to at least get started.

So, watcha think? Am I making a newbie mistake thinking my blade isn't sharp enough? Is my HHT flawed? Should I just lumber through and keep trying and hopefully my face won't literally catch on fire in the process? Would you suggest getting a different razor? Or just getting this one professionally honed? I've always liked the idea of a wedge razor...for some reason it just seems like a better design...but the blades aren't generally as sharp as a hollow-ground right?

Anyway, any and all advice is much appreciated!!! Thanks fellas!!!

You have to learn what results a shave ready razor will get with the HHT and then compare your results to that. There are a lot of variables many of which include the hair. It is possible to have a razor that shaves great but won't pass the HHT and a razor that easily passes the HHT but is horrible to shave with. It is very subjective. The only test that matters is the shave test.

HHT don't mean a thing. Neither does beard thickness or beard density. The razor's grind doesn't mean anything either. If your razor is shave ready and you know how to use it, you will get a good shave. If you do not get a good shave, your razor is not ready or you don't know how to use it. From there, it's just a question of which it is, and in your heart of hearts, you know the answer.

Holli says it perfectly but I'll add one thing: Send it out to Lynn or Glen to have it sharpened and then start fresh and see what you get...and watch your stropping. Don't raise that spine.

+1 to JMS and also when u shave try less angle maybe 30 degree and see how that feels, and also remember dont use pressure when u shave let the razor do the work. If u shave your arm hair does it pop off with no effort or does it tug?

I hear what ya'll are saying. I think I'll send it out to Lynn or Glen and see what they think before running out and buying a new razor. Even if this one won't do the job, I'd still like to keep my first razor, for sentimental reasons =)

That said, my heart of heart's is pretty damn certain this razor isn't sharp enough. I just tried shaving some arm hair off and unless I apply a lot of pressure, the blade latches onto the hair and then almost JUMPS up and over the hair....really strange...I'm trying all different angles and it will barely cut...the tiny patch of hair that I did cut is razorburned. I can feel it trying to cut but PULLING at the hairs until it cuts through them and jumps to the next clump of hair, stops, and grinds through them too.....I also have to hold the scales pretty firmly or the angle will increase sharply towards 90 degrees when the blade edge binds on my hair......this is pretty much the exact same story on my face although slightly better due to all the prep, hot water, lather, etc.

Well, I'm gunna check this thread tomorrow but I'll probably just end up sending it in to a master honing wizard. Thanks fellas!!!

Originally Posted by jdurango

. I just tried shaving some arm hair off and unless I apply a moderate amount of pressure, the blade latches onto the hair and then almost JUMPS up and over the hair....really strange...I'm trying all different angles and it will barely cut...the tiny patch of hair that I did cut is razorburned. I can feel it trying to cut but PULLING at the hairs until it cuts through them and jumps to the next clump of hair, stops, and grinds through them too.....

Well, I'm gunna check this thread tomorrow but I'll probably just end up sending it in to a master honing wizard. Thanks fellas!!!

Based on the above quote your blade is plenty dull.

Originally Posted by jdurango

I just tried shaving some arm hair off and unless I apply a lot amount of pressure, the blade latches onto the hair and then almost JUMPS up and over the hair....really strange...I'm trying all different angles and it will barely cut...the tiny patch of hair that I did cut is razorburned. I can feel it trying to cut but PULLING at the hairs until it cuts through them and jumps to the next clump of hair, stops, and grinds through them too.....I also have to hold the scales pretty firmly or the angle will increase sharply towards 90 degrees when the blade edge binds on my hair......this is pretty much the exact same story on my face although slightly better due to all the prep, hot water, lather, etc.

When you get your newly honed razor back, you should do several things for reference:

• gently shave some arm hair, noticing how little angle you need and how easily it shaves
• very gently place the pad of your thumb against the edge, noticing how it feels "sticky" if you move your thumb at all
• shave without stropping first, trying to use the least amount of angle possible (a slight scything action helps)

For what it's worth, you should never need to raise the angle of your blade and scrape the hairs out. Raising the angle dulls a razor faster, too, especially if it feels anything like scraping.

I have been getting good shaves for years with a razor but none of them would pass the HHT. Recently I made a leather pad with some cro ox and they all pass the test and my shaves are smoother. You might want to try that.
Be aware that some leather has a finish on it that will scratch your razor and dull it. Use some acetone on a rag to clean the surface good and let it dry before applying the cro ox and use a good quality piece of leather. Not a cheap belt.

Originally Posted by jdurango

So, watcha think? Am I making a newbie mistake thinking my blade isn't sharp enough? Is my HHT flawed? Should I just lumber through and keep trying and hopefully my face won't literally catch on fire in the process? Would you suggest getting a different razor? Or just getting this one professionally honed? I've always liked the idea of a wedge razor...for some reason it just seems like a better design...but the blades aren't generally as sharp as a hollow-ground right?

Surely sounds blunt but Glen or Lynn will sort that out.
HHT means different things to different people. I try to do it as slow & gently as possible & at about 1/2 -3/4 " away from my grip yet razors can still shave well if they cut closer. Of course the steel & also type of hair makes a difference. It's been said to use a sharp DE blade as a reference for TNT. You could experiment with HHT as well.

And as far as wedges not being as sharp as hollows, don't you believe it.
It's all about 2 sides of a piece of steel meeting at the optimum angle. What happens behind that only determines flex.