[forrestp38829]

When you perform the HHT, are you supposed to feel a very slight tug as the hair is cut?

It seems like I can look at my razor wrong and it will decide to not cut the hair.

[Jimbo]

Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by a slight tug - but yeah, sometimes I can feel the hair being cut. Other times, it just falls away.

For me what happens depends on the hair I use and the blade I'm testing it on e.g Friodur: nothing, just a hair dividing; When I use my chest hairs more often than not I can feel the hair cutting.

But the important thing with the HHT is not the hair cutting part (although you could argue that is a necessary condition for passing the HHT) but how it corresponds to the actual shave - test, shave, test, shave etc. Every time you test an edge using the HHT, take a note of what happened and then test shave the edge. Soon you will be able to say "well, yeah there's a tugging feeling but I know that it will give me a good/bad shave", if you know what I mean.

But just for the record, I find if I have to work too hard to get the hair to cut (or if the hair splits rather than cuts) for me that is an indication that my edge is not quite there yet.

James.

[Utopian]

Originally Posted by forrestp38829

When you perform the HHT, are you supposed to feel a very slight tug as the hair is cut?

It seems like I can look at my razor wrong and it will decide to not cut the hair.

Well, don't try to correct this by not looking! Even if you are feeling a tug, it means that the blade is catching on the hair. Even if the hair doesn't pop, you're pretty close and maybe should just go ahead and shave test and not worry so much about the HHT.

[joke1176]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

... Every time you test an edge using the HHT, take a note of what happened and then test shave the edge. Soon you will be able to say "well, yeah there's a tugging feeling but I know that it will give me a good/bad shave", if you know what I mean...

Yes yes yes! If you don't have a baseline knowledge of what a good shaving edge will give you, and how that feels compared to a HHT, the HHT is only a parlor trick to impress your friends... That being said, it is pretty cool.

[coully]

Originally Posted by joke1176

Yes yes yes! If you don't have a baseline knowledge of what a good shaving edge will give you, and how that feels compared to a HHT, the HHT is only a parlor trick to impress your friends... That being said, it is pretty cool.

Not quite the way I would put it but I do believe you conveyed my thought very well, , I personally do not believe in the HHT because it will have the same outcome on a raggedy edge.
Just my opinion thats all

regards,simon

[JimmyHAD]

If passing the HHT was a prerequisite for a good smooth shave I would rarely have one. Fortunately for me one doesn't seem to have much to do with the other. I have tried hair from my hairbrush and hair from a very old badger brush my hair being too fine to be reliable. Perhaps the hair from the brush is too fine as well. I rely more on popping hair from my forearm and now from my leg as the forearm is becoming a bit sparse. The important thing is I am getting great shaves without concerning myself with the HHT.

[English]

I tried that popping the hairs on my arm test and ended up with a bald patch. Never done it again.

If you get a good shave, feel the edge with your thumb and remember what sharp feels like.

You don't need to cut anything and don't cut your thumb. Feel, don't press at all.

It's the same with hones.

You can feel sharp. It bites, it grips it's sort of ragged. It gets smoother as the hones get finer.

If the bite goes, you won't get a good shave. If it doesn't grip and bite, it won't cut whiskers.

It's no different to a carving knife. Just sharper. You know the difference between a knife that will cut a tomatoe and one that won't.

Same with a straight razor.

[dnjrboy]

What does HHT stand for?

[dnjrboy]

Nevermind, just found the acronym sticky

[chief]

it stands for the infamous "Hanging Hair Test", where a hair is split by the touch of a razor.

[forrestp38829]

Thank you all for the advice, I have since gotten some stones and am gradually realizing what a sharp edge feels like. I can put a hell of a sharp edge on a kitchen knife, but the razor edge is still somewhat elusive. I still jump up and down when i get it just right.

[Chris L]

I'm one of the weird ones. The HHT is a "parlor trick" that I can't help but use daily prior to my shaves. Yup, after stropping and before every single shave, I just have to take one of my ultra-fine head hairs and HHT along the edge. True, even a marginally sharp ragged edge can pass the HHT. But given that I'm a habitual HHTer, I have noticed the following to be true for me related to sharpness:

• An edge that grabs a hair before cutting is simply less sharp than edges that exhibit the following:
  • An edge that cuts a hair cleanly when you hold the hair by the follicle end but does not cut the hair when you hold it by the tip of the hair is sharper than above.
  • An edge that severs a hair cleanly regardless of which end you hold is sharper still.
  • Finally, an edge that silently severs even fine hairs with no apparent effort regardless of direction, almost as though the hair in the HHT didn't even touch the edge is sharpest.

Others can argue this, but this has been my experience. Remember, I'm talking about edge SHARPNESS here. That doesn't necessarily mean an edge that does not exhibit the "sharpest" behavior in my tests will not shave well.

Parlor trick or not, I personally would not shave with an edge that didn't pass either 2-4 of my examples. Sorry, I wouldn't and don't.

Chris L

[WoodyHayes]

Originally Posted by Chris L

I'm one of the weird ones. The HHT is a "parlor trick" that I can't help but use daily prior to my shaves. Yup, after stropping and before every single shave, I just have to take one of my ultra-fine head hairs and HHT along the edge. True, even a marginally sharp ragged edge can pass the HHT. But given that I'm a habitual HHTer, I have noticed the following to be true for me related to sharpness:

• An edge that grabs a hair before cutting is simply less sharp than edges that exhibit the following:
  • An edge that cuts a hair cleanly when you hold the hair by the follicle end but does not cut the hair when you hold it by the tip of the hair is sharper than above.
  • An edge that severs a hair cleanly regardless of which end you hold is sharper still.
  • Finally, an edge that silently severs even fine hairs with no apparent effort regardless of direction, almost as though the hair in the HHT didn't even touch the edge is sharpest.

Others can argue this, but this has been my experience. Remember, I'm talking about edge SHARPNESS here. That doesn't necessarily mean an edge that does not exhibit the "sharpest" behavior in my tests will not shave well.

Parlor trick or not, I personally would not shave with an edge that didn't pass either 2-4 of my examples. Sorry, I wouldn't and don't.

Chris L

Does this really happen a lot? In my short one month of straight shaving, I couldn't get any of my razors to come close to cutting a hair without holding both tips of the hair. I would love to see an example or video of someone just holding one end and the edge cutting a hair. (Am I crazy, or can many do this)?

[joke1176]

Originally Posted by WoodyHayes

Does this really happen a lot? In my short one month of straight shaving, I couldn't get any of my razors to come close to cutting a hair without holding both tips of the hair. I would love to see an example or video of someone just holding one end and the edge cutting a hair. (Am I crazy, or can many do this)?

For sure! Somebody around here has a great example of the HHT as their signature actually. If you need to hold both ends of the hair, your razor is waaaay to dull to shave with yet.

Edit:I'm not contradicting my earlier post. It may only be a trick IMHO, and not the gold standard for pre-shave sharpness testing, but it can be useful.

[joke1176]

Originally Posted by English

I tried that popping the hairs on my arm test and ended up with a bald patch. Never done it again....

I usually test by passing the blade through the arm hair above the skin, halfway between the length of the arm hairs. That way, no bald spot!

[coully]

Originally Posted by Chris L

I'm one of the weird ones. The HHT is a "parlor trick" that I can't help but use daily prior to my shaves. Yup, after stropping and before every single shave, I just have to take one of my ultra-fine head hairs and HHT along the edge. True, even a marginally sharp ragged edge can pass the HHT. But given that I'm a habitual HHTer, I have noticed the following to be true for me related to sharpness:

• An edge that grabs a hair before cutting is simply less sharp than edges that exhibit the following:
  • An edge that cuts a hair cleanly when you hold the hair by the follicle end but does not cut the hair when you hold it by the tip of the hair is sharper than above.
  • An edge that severs a hair cleanly regardless of which end you hold is sharper still.
  • Finally, an edge that silently severs even fine hairs with no apparent effort regardless of direction, almost as though the hair in the HHT didn't even touch the edge is sharpest.

Others can argue this, but this has been my experience. Remember, I'm talking about edge SHARPNESS here. That doesn't necessarily mean an edge that does not exhibit the "sharpest" behavior in my tests will not shave well.

Parlor trick or not, I personally would not shave with an edge that didn't pass either 2-4 of my examples. Sorry, I wouldn't and don't.

Chris L

Thats all well and good when you know what to look for and have been honeing for a good while....however if you list your results for positive actions, maybe you could do more of the same for what the hair does for over-honing i.e wire-edge and such like to better illustrate for us.

I do appreciate your info however i am not and never will be a HHTer, i prefer the hairs on the back of my hand, then the shave, but hey. thats me it would be a boring forum if we all liked the same things.

regards,simon

[Chris L]

Originally Posted by coully

Thats all well and good when you know what to look for and have been honeing for a good while....however if you list your results for positive actions, maybe you could do more of the same for what the hair does for over-honing i.e wire-edge and such like to better illustrate for us.

I do appreciate your info however i am not and never will be a HHTer, i prefer the hairs on the back of my hand, then the shave, but hey. thats me it would be a boring forum if we all liked the same things.

regards,simon

That's a good point, Simon. I've listed what I find happens when an edge is sharp, sharper, sharpest on my razors but I haven't listed how an overhoned "wire edge" behaves in my HHTs.

I honestly couldn't tell you. I have overhoned razors. The only way I knew that was the edges didn't last. It's been quite some time for me since I've had that happen, so I don't know. I would speculate and say that an edge that is overhoned in the sense that it's too thin would probably show the signs of being ultra sharp. But...that edge wouldn't hold up to a month+ of daily shaves.

Chris L

[gssixgun]

Originally Posted by WoodyHayes

Does this really happen a lot? In my short one month of straight shaving, I couldn't get any of my razors to come close to cutting a hair without holding both tips of the hair. I would love to see an example or video of someone just holding one end and the edge cutting a hair. (Am I crazy, or can many do this)?

MikeRatliff's signature has a great vid of an HHT
And in answer to your real question yes a sharp edge will pass the HHT from heel to toe... all day long without any maniplulation of the hair....

Here is a link to another HHT thread that has some great info also and some of my rambling thoughts on it

Finally did the parlor trick

[Lt.Arclight]

I've had blades that would pass the HHT that would absolutely turn my face into hamburger. although a neat parlor trick it is no guarantee of a good shaving edge. I must admit that since I recently started using the Shapton Glass Waterstones I've been able to pass the HHT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,obtained a very comfortable edge.

[blueprinciple]

I have less and less faith in the HHT as time goes on. Example: I just finished honing a Wapi - as you'll know they can and do take a devilish edge - and tried the HHT. Mmm. I'm grey on top which in reality means that I have a mix of white and near-black hairs. HHT passed on near-black but struggled on white. Most odd!

Also, I have hair thickness that varies quite a bit (as do most guys) from very fine to fairly coarse. It all gets a bit complicated! Too, I honed a big wedge the other day with a blade-smile like a cheshire cat. It would NOT, not matter what I tried, pass the HHT with ease, yet when I shaved with it (yes it is mine!) it was butter-smooth and one of the best shaves I've had in a while.

My opinion is that the HHT is a reasonable test for sharpness, especially on a hollow-ground blade but for me, I trust the shave (or the ball of my left thumb if it's not my razor).

And what do you do if you're bald, eh? (No rude suggestions please....)