Test Whiskers?

I am always impressed that honemeisters "test shave" after honing a razor. I often wonder if these guys have any arm or leg hair left on their bodies, and if their cheeks are insured against loss, damage, scaring, or (gasp) hair-loss!

Anyhow, when I'm wondering if my razors are sharp, I don't go for the cheek whiskers. Instead, I have two areas that stubbornly refuse to yield to my straight razor, though the DE gets them nicely.

First, the half-inch or so directly under my lower lip--you know, the whiskers your tongue feels if you lick below your lower lip. For some reason, only my most wicked-sharp straights will get those. They are dense, coarse, and in a sensitive spot.

Second, the hollows on my lower neck on either side, spaces about the size of a half-dollar, where the whiskers also grow in several directions. I used to think this was due to the whiskers hiding, but the DE and even the disposables get them. With the straight, I've had trouble and, again, it's the really sharpest razor that gets these hairs.

So...what are your "test whiskers"--the parts of your face that tell you immediately, assuming your technique is good, that your razor will do the job?

As I progressed in learning to hone I used arm and leg hair tests less and less. Razor mange got old fast. The TPT and a small amount of limb hair testing suffices for me. After stropping I still try the HHT.

My toughest spots are the hollows on either side of my windpipe and the knob of my chin. There are other tough spots but none as tough as the fore mentioned. I can get it all with a straight and I've noticed that as my stretching/shaving technique improves getting it has become easier than it used to be.

+1 bottom lip.

I always test shave on a dry cheek when honing but when actually shaving there is one spot that will let me know everytime if my blade is up to snuff and that is the middle left of my chin.

For me it's the section of my neck from my Adam's apple to the tip of my chin. The whiskers there are very tough and lay very flat, and is one of the few areas of my face that absolutely requires an ATG pass to achieve a smooth shave. Because of this it is easy for me to tell if a razor is up to par.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

For me it's the section of my neck from my Adam's apple to the tip of my chin. The whiskers there are very tough and lay very flat, and is one of the few areas of my face that absolutely requires an ATG pass to achieve a smooth shave. Because of this it is easy for me to tell if a razor is up to par.

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That's mine too. It's funny that I can do two passes and the razor passes with flying colors, but on that ATG pass, if the blade isn't up to snuff it's a brutal shave right in that area.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

For me it's the section of my neck from my Adam's apple to the tip of my chin. The whiskers there are very tough and lay very flat, and is one of the few areas of my face that absolutely requires an ATG pass to achieve a smooth shave. Because of this it is easy for me to tell if a razor is up to par.

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+1 on that area, if the razor is sharp that area will be BBS,if not its back to the hones

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Originally Posted by nessmuck

+1 on that area, if the razor is sharp that area will be BBS,if not its back to the hones

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Not just BBS, but comfortable while shaving too.