Thread: "Shave Ready" ... Yeah, Right.

When you say over the Pond I am assuming you are in England or the EU if so before you start paying those crazy charges I would suggest contacting Poona and/or Bart they are both more than capable of sorting out your shave ready problems with out the added cost of sending the razor to the US...

If I am assuming wrong then there are plenty of us over here that can sort out the edges....

Check the classifieds for member services...

+1 on what Lee said I don't know of one person that is a reputable honemiester on SRP that will not stand behind their work.... Our reputations are worth way to much to us...

Originally Posted by Cornelius

Agreed: the razor passing the HHT will not mean that it necessarily shaves well.

However, the razor not passing the HHT must mean that there is something not 100% right with it. Or if it doesnt like you and others suggest, then I fail to see the point of the test?

The HHT is a parlor trick, the only test that truly matters is the shave test. Nothing else matters if you get a good shave! The HHT is simply something you can use to impress others!

milton mentioned to discuss with the member, however you never said if you did or not. if i sell as shave ready and you say it is not, then i want to know from you privately so i can make it right somehow. if you did then great, but if not i am sure he is probably huffing and puffing right now. i would be. just an observation.

good luck with your razors. i used to use the HHT, but not now. the TPT is the only one i use besides the shave test to see where an edge is at. get some stones and good luck to you. sounds like you have a good start at RAD.

vgod

[quote=Cornelius;296327]What if he doesnt get it right? I dont feel like sending that razor over the pond repeatedly. I'll buy hones and eventually I'll get it right. But it is disappointing as I bought this razor in order to have a reference point as to how sharp my razors should be after honing and stropping.
quote]

Originally Posted by Cornelius

However, the razor not passing the HHT must mean that there is something not 100% right with it. Or if it doesnt like you and others suggest, then I fail to see the point of the test?

Most of my razors fail the HHT. I suspect this means that it is my hair that's to blame, as most of these razors are excellent shavers. In fact, I have never been able to pass the HHT with a Feather AC with Super Pro or Pro blades and, for better or worse, few people question the Feather when it comes to sharpness.

If I want to test an edge I just use the thumb pad test or shave a little bit of my arm hair. Mainly I just shave and see how the razor cuts and feels. If I don't like it, I set it aside for a touch up on the hone and use another one.

Originally Posted by Cornelius

However, the razor not passing the HHT must mean that there is something not 100% right with it. Or if it doesnt like you and others suggest, then I fail to see the point of the test?

The test is a personal test. You learn to gauge a razor's sharpness by how a sharp razor cuts YOUR hair, not mine or my wife's. Through practice you will learn how a sharp razor reacts for you. Everyone's hairs are different. The point of the HHT is comparative to your own results. The shave test is what is important

My point is that you won't know what it means for a razor to pass or fail the HHT until you have seen how a razor you know is shave ready performs for you in such a test. So my suggestion is shave with it: if it passes the shave test, THEN go do the HHT and remember what you see. Then compare with a duller blade.

Here is what Lynn Abrams said in a past post;

" The only test I rely on to determine whether a razor is shave ready is to SHAVE with the razor. It generally will let you know if not honed enough or honed to much and alot of times to what degree on each. If the razor tugs a little or a lot, take it back to the hone and DO NOT continue to shave with it. If it glides over the beard with no hair removal, it needs a trip back to the hone. After a while you will really develop a feel for this."

I use the HHT here and there but as of late I have been restoring several blades and found myself testing small patches on my upper arm.

I ran out of hair.

I got carried away and moved to the forearm area and before I knew it I had stripes of bald spots on BOTH of my arms. Yup, it looks really weird. I'm wearing long sleeves today.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Here is what Lynn Abrams said in a past post;

" The only test I rely on to determine whether a razor is shave ready is to SHAVE with the razor. It generally will let you know if not honed enough or honed to much and alot of times to what degree on each. If the razor tugs a little or a lot, take it back to the hone and DO NOT continue to shave with it. If it glides over the beard with no hair removal, it needs a trip back to the hone. After a while you will really develop a feel for this."

Couldn't have said it better myself!



Thanks Jimmy!!

Happy Holidays all

Originally Posted by Lynn

Couldn't have said it better myself!



Thanks Jimmy!!

Happy Holidays all

The problem for most guys is that what you call "after a while" is 2 or 3 hundred razors.

HHT is a fickle thing.

Many razors that are properly finished on a very fine natural stone will NOT pass the HHT, even when it is truly shaveready. The reason is that the edge becomes smoother, rather than sharper.

A razor honed on a 325 grit DMT plate will pass he HHT with ease. Ditto for higher grits with synthetic stones. Synth stone had sharp cutting grit -> them make scratch lines and a toothy edge -> teeth grab hair -> hair rips.

Whereas with smooth edge from natural finisher -> no teeth -> smooth edge -> hair doesn't grip -> bounce
The only real test is the shave test. The HHT is a trick, and other tests require some experience in order to judge the results.