Thread: Stropping/HHT question...

So there you go: two moderators (one Senior, even) essentially agreeing with me. Could the day get any better?

Originally Posted by Bruce

Could the day get any better?

Probably not, but there is always the hanging membership test if you are in doubt

I'm surprised nobody's invented the pre-shave test

I did not have very good luck with the HHT test because it is just a pain to do. Just do the arm hair tree top test or a let tree top test. With experience you can tell if all you razor is sharp from toe to heel. You don't shave it to the skin so that it looks silly and it works pretty well. It will not tell you if it is smooth but if you are at the end of like a J-Nat or fine synthetic progression you can tell if it is sharp. Smoothness can be taken care of after you have the keenness down.

Later,
Richard

Later,
Richard

. . . And for most of us the "arm hair tree top test" is root held in.

I think the HHT is telling me something about the edge.
I recently have 2 similar Heljestrand knives honed for me, one with Asagi and one with Escher.
The Asagi knife is sharp as a Feather AC blade and easily cut a hanging hair hold by the tip or root.
The Escher knife only do HHT holding by the tip and i must do a little more pressure/scything with this one.
Booth give me a close smooth shave and shaving result is about the same.
But the HHT tells me just the same that I can feel when I shave with these.

You know, my old Norelco will just gobble up those hanging hairs. So who am I to question the validity of the vaunted HHT?

Hang it there, hair; hang in there.

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