Thread: What is the "Shave Test" Vid

Thank you for clarifying, til I saw this I was going all the way shave testing...saved me time and headache.

Respectfully disagree. Any reasonably honed blade will wipe whiskers WTG on the cheek. When it can do the same ATG all along the chin, jawline, and upper lip without irritation, THAT is the signature of a properly honed blade.

My opinion only. Just how I do it.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

This is a quick demo of what is meant by the term "Shave Test" the objective is the test the edge of the razor, it is not to test the shaving technique of a new user..
The razor should cut through the beard from Sideburn to Jawline without hesitation, pulling, tugging, or pain, the results should actually surprise you with how smooth the face is.. There should be virtually no hair left behind.. If you cannot achieve this easily then there is no reason to try the rest of the face, this pass is the easiest on the face, the rest just gets more difficult...
This is also a good starting point for new Straight Razor shavers, learn the easy flat sides of the face and then finish with your old way of shaving, gradually work your way out into the more difficult areas of the face, as you gain proficiency with the SR..

Originally Posted by pcb01

Respectfully disagree. Any reasonably honed blade will wipe whiskers WTG on the cheek. When it can do the same ATG all along the chin, jawline, and upper lip without irritation, THAT is the signature of a properly honed blade.

My opinion only. Just how I do it.

Honestly reading and listening to the vid would be a good idea,,

You made an assumption that the blade only had to be that good, and that was not what I said, I said it has to be at least that good before you should try going farther..
A good edge is a good edge but a Newb needs to learn to shave first and they need a reliable test for that that doesn't depend on their lack of skills, That is why we all recommend this simple test as an easy starting point. A so-so edge in the hands of a Newb will fail this simple test, yes a so so edge in the hands of an experienced shaver will do much better but we have other shave tests as you just pointed out..

Thanks Glenn!

This was the first time I saw this video. Luckily, I had decided when I was getting started honing that I would need to use more than one razor per shave to test all the edges I was honing. I now use four razors per shave when testing edges. One for each quarter of my face. I do WTG and ATG.

Thanks again!