Thread: HHT Levels?

So I didn't really know where to post this so I figured the beginner area is as good a place as any. I don't really get into the HHT to much and really I only do it because it is fun or I am showing it to someone. I have been reading though in some posts that people will say that they honed their razor on whatever rock and then did the HHT and got a "HHT 4" or "passed level 3 HHT" or something like that.

As far as I have understood it, the HHT was when you took a hair brought it down to the blade and if it cut the hair then voila your blade or hair passes the test. I didn't know there were levels or variations. So what am I not getting here?

Originally Posted by cosperryan

As far as I have understood it, the HHT was when you took a hair brought it down to the blade and if it cut the hair then voila your blade or hair passes the test. I didn't know there were levels or variations. So what am I not getting here?

You tell me ..... ..... and we'll both know ...... I never could make sense of that ..... I think you might say folks who rate the HHT numerically are splitting hairs .....

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

You tell me ..... ..... and we'll both know ...... I never could make sense of that ..... I think you might say folks who rate the HHT numerically are splitting hairs .....

I see what you did there.

Cos,
HHT is controversial, so if we get some excited posts - you'll understand. Some do, some don't - ya picks yer poison.

Most would be quick to say (I agree) that the test has to be calibrated to *your* hair or some known constant.

As to degrees or variations - this might be helpful. Mods - if this is frowned upon - just delete.
http://coticule.be/hanging-hair-test.html

I noticed that this was in the beginner's forum - FWIW, I couldn't get any edge to pass HHT when I started - including one shapton 30k edge from Glen. Let's say it wasn't the blade's fault

Or you can research it in the SRP Library.

Well I just put it in the beginners because I didn't know where else to really put it and I figured maybe it would help some other guy who is just starting out and getting excited about the HHT and this is were most of the newer members first post and look for advice. Unfortunately Pinklather, it seems that page does not like safari or vice versa.

In my experience, a better indication of how sharp a razor is, is the amount of resistance you feel while the razor cuts the hair. You'll have to play around with that and notice that the angle is very important for this, and moving the hair very slowly. By now, having done the HHT hundreds of times, I can pretty accurately predict how sharp a razor is going to be while shaving, though smoothness is of course impossible to predict this way.

As for the non-working link, my link does work: http://coticule.be/hanging-hair-test.html

When I do an HHT it is always an HHT 9.5 or I don't shave with the razor...


























Gotcha !!!!

Originally Posted by gssixgun

When I do an HHT it is always an HHT 9.5 or I don't shave with the razor... Gotcha!

Is that about the equivalent of cutting through a porcupines quill?

Originally Posted by RoobtheLoob

Is that about the equivalent of cutting through a porcupines quill?

While running alongside it hehehehe



This is actually the problem of any Hair Cutting "Scale" as soon as you change the hair, the scale means nutin honey

My hair pops all day long at 1k, the Wife's hair you are lucky to get it to pop after stropping on a good day facing East with the wind blowing at yer back

Now if you calibrate your HHT to your specific equation that probably works for you, but honestly every time I read "I got an HHT 4 off of this "Megadeath" stone" I giggle a bit because it means nuttin to me, I have no way of knowing what your HHT is compared to mine.. Add in the fact that it only registers sharpness and not smoothness and it really starts to come apart...


Now if they said, "On my HHT scale, I got a 4 off the "Megadeath" stone, where I was getting a 3 off my Norton 8" then I can start to see a comparison forming I can make the connection that his MD stone is giving him a better edge then the Norton 8k so I can relate just a bit more...