My first GOOD shave

Hey folks,
Maybe this could go into the hones forum since this is really about my new ability to hone my razor.

So I had read about the HHT test. I heard people call it the 'hand hair test' but on most of the download info section it is called the 'hanging hair test'. I tried sharpening my razor with a norton 4k/8k and also have a chinese 12K stone. No matter how much I tried, I never seemed to pass a 'hanging hair test'. I read about people who say their hair is 'too fine' and tried a variation of the HHT by bringing the razor throught the upper tufts of my arm hair. Sometimes it felt like it was snagging some hairs, but sometimes it just moved through without any pulling sensation at the hairs.

I know everyone said this was just a measure, the real test is to shave with the razor. I had shaved probably half a dozen times with it, and every time it required going over the same areas multiple times (like 5 or 6 passes with the grain) to get the razor to cut the beard. Against the grain felt bad, since it would usually pull at all the little hairs.

I was debating dropping another $20 for Lynn to sharpen my razor (plus $5 to ship it, & $5 return shipping), and maybe even $20 more for his DVD just for the section on how to hone... I was that frustrated.

To try to understand how sharp a razor should be, using a pair of toenail clippers and a stanley single razor blade I took apart one of my gillette mach3 cartridges. These razors were easily able to pass a hanging hair test, and I realized that when pulling them into the upper tufts of my arm hair, they snagged almost immediately, and with more pressure cleaved the hairs. Now I had a sense of where I had to get to. I was WAY off the mark for what sharp should be.

Then last night I started changing my technique. Instead of the X pattern I tried using the razor my in a scything arc.. something similar to a windshield wiper. It didn't work either. I had read a little something on back honing, but wasn't really sure what that would do, so I tried that a little... no luck either.

As a last ditch effort in futility I started just going in circles with the razor. Forward and backwards on one side, then forwards and backwards on the other. I tried the arm hair, and it started catching the hairs a lot better. After 20 minutes or so, I was able to pass my razor on the hanging hair test on the toe, middle, and heel of the blade. i'm not quite sure what my technique was, but it worked. I had a SHARP razor finally.

I put it to Tony's strop, took a hot shower, slathered on some of Mama Bear's sandalwood soap, and shaved the hair off my face in what was my first comfortable shave. :yNo nicks, no burn, not quite BBS, but this young jedi is happy to be shaving finally after having all this gear and no better results than a gillette a month ago.

Sounds like you're havin' a good time as well. Keep experimenting and enjoy.

Lynn

Good to hear something worked. Now you get to figure out what it is. :D

X