Thread: Stropping question/issue...

Originally Posted by cassady

This is perhaps going to sound crazy, but I also think that the one reason for the disagreements regarding the HHT depends somewhat on one's hair -- in particular, on its thickness (and perhaps other factors).

At a recent gathering, we noticed that my hair (which is medium thin in its thickness) didn't work very well compared to other folks' hair at the HHT (on the same spot on the same razor).

Perhaps this is why different folks have different results with the HHT. Arm hair is also different than head hair, and may explain your different results.

Just a thought,

cass

Possibly. But I've noticed that during the process of stropping, my razors edge goes through different stages. Initially the hair will glide over the edge without being cut. Then more stropping. The edge will aggressively grab at the hair and pop the hair off. More stropping. The edge will gently grab at the hair and slice the hair up the middle. More stropping. The edge will ever so slightly grab the hair and the hair falls in two. At that point I'm usually done and can be assured of a good shave. The thumb pad test at this point usually reveals a very "sticky" edge.

But, often I will try the same with my wife's much finer hair (blondish red - finer than mine). If the edge will cut her fine hair I'm very satisfied. If not, again more stropping (usually this "more stropping" involves alternating between the canvas and the leather side of the strop). Usually I'll find one of her finest blondish, almost invisible hairs, and continue the process until that hair can be cut while hanging. Not a "popping off", but falling away. Once again, a good shave and "sticky" TPT.

Now it might sound as though I spend all day going through this procedure, but generally it takes no more than 10 minutes, if even that long, at most.

I contend that a hair's a hair and that if a razor is keen enough it will cut a hanging hair regardless of hair type. I'd love to be proved wrong (in other words I love a good challenge).


Scott

BTW - "good shave" = one pass, WTG, BBS shave.

The hanging hair test has never been a reliable method, for me, indicating that a razor is ready to shave. As with most guys who hone razors, we do shave test them to make sure they are right before they leave us. My problem with so much discussion on the hanging hair test, the thumb pad test and the thumb nail test is that new people make up their minds about the shave before they shave based on these tests. The biggest problem we have seen with the newer folks is that they need to obtain a proper angle on the razor for shaving along with good beard prep and stropping techniques. Most rather than just try a section of the face at a time until they really learn the proper technique, take on the whole face and many times have an uncomfortable result.

We have only one goal here and that is for people to learn this sport and enjoy it for the rest of their lives the same as we do.

Have fun,

Lynn

Originally Posted by honedright

I'd love to be proved wrong (in other words I love a good challenge).

pm sent

Originally Posted by cassady

This is perhaps going to sound crazy, but I also think that the one reason for the disagreements regarding the HHT depends somewhat on one's hair -- in particular, on its thickness (and perhaps other factors).

At a recent gathering, we noticed that my hair (which is medium thin in its thickness) didn't work very well compared to other folks' hair at the HHT (on the same spot on the same razor).

Perhaps this is why different folks have different results with the HHT. Arm hair is also different than head hair, and may explain your different results.

Just a thought,

cass

Yep, I remember that. I have two labs that shed like crazy no matter how much I brush them so just for kicks and grins I use their fur. Actually I use the fur I brush off the Chocolate Lab, it's hard to see the fur off the Yellow Lab. I pick out the thicker 'hairs' and use them for a test/play. Like all here are saying, the true test is in the actual shave. I just get a kick out of the expressions CarrieM and JrJoeD make when the hairs just POP. Even if the straight is popping hairs, once in a while it goes back to the hone because it is a little course shaving. Just use the HHT as a game and let the actual shave be your measure. It you need to see if it is sharp enough shave a few hairs on your arm. That's a slightly better test before you go to your face if you don't like the TPT.

I am going to weigh in on this also:

First, if you send your razor out to be honed, don't do tests before you shave with it, the shave is the test....

Tests are for people to use while they hone a razor, they don't mean a thing to anyone else...

In other words TNT: hey it's "my" thumbnail and I use the same one, the same way, every time, so I know the bevel is correct....

TPT: I do it the same way, on "my" thumb, every time, to make sure the razor is ready to go on to the next stage of honing...

The Armhair test: That's why I have no hair on "my" left arm, I just finished honing 10 razors, and every one of them cut "my" armhair "my" way...

The HHT: Yeah I did it just to make "myself" smile, and I used my wife's superfine hair because it's the hardest to cut... doesn't mean anything to anyone else, it just makes me happy to see the hair silently fall away..

After all that, we test shave, the edge, and then re-strop the edge for you.... After that first shave, then check out the edge so you can get a benchmark for your own future honing endevors....

So.............

I was thinkin'......................

And I thunk I would try something to see what might effect the Hanging Hair Test. I thought I would try the HHT with some razors I just restored and had set up to test shave with and then I would put oil on them and wipe it off and try the HHT again to see if the oil had any impact. Sounded logical...........

So I pulled a hair from the ol' noggin and commenced...........

Not a damn one of those razors passed the HHT............

So.............

I did a little test shave with each of them and am delighted to say that my face is sooooooo smooooooth that the light in the room is reflecting off it. This was a pretty good mix of razors too, including a DD, couple Bokers, Kinfolks, Christensen and a nice JA Henckels along with a Dovo SS and Dovo Carbon.

So.............

For me, I will continue to NOT rely on the HHT. I wish it was not promoted so much that a new person judges a razor by it before even shaving.

Have fun guys,

Lynn

Im still learning but Im finding that the better I do with my stroping the better my shave. I just use the leather strop and do 20 st.rokes. I try to make them 20 good strokes. My test is my shave nice smooth and I did good rough and grabby I need to try bettter tomorrow

As a very raw nube I'll weigh in on the HHT. I spent several months learning to hone my various razors and the shaves were always a little on the rough side during this process. Once I got to the point where my blades would pass the HHT (with my hair which is super fine) I knew that my honing was at least on the right track. The shaves improved tremendously, as did my confidence in the whole process of straight razor shaving.
The HHT is the closest thing to an objective test standard that I could find, and it did show me that I was finally on the way to properly honed blades. Having said that, I agree that what really matters in the end is the shave, which is the object of the excersize.

Originally Posted by Scububbs

As a very raw nube I'll weigh in on the HHT. I spent several months learning to hone my various razors and the shaves were always a little on the rough side during this process. Once I got to the point where my blades would pass the HHT (with my hair which is super fine) I knew that my honing was at least on the right track. The shaves improved tremendously, as did my confidence in the whole process of straight razor shaving.

The point is that you would have gotten the same information if you had skipped the HHT. Your shaves would have improved as they did and given you the same information. The problem with the HHT test is that passing it only means that the edge is sharp in some fashion. It could be saw toothed and sharp or a number of other "sharp" conditions which would give a terrible shave. On the other hand, you can completely fail the HHT and get the very best shave.

I believe this: if a razor passes the HHT, but gives a crappy shave....well the purpose of honing and stropping a razor is NOT to pass tests (I'm preaching to the choir) but of course to give outstanding shaves. And if you are getting good shaves without going through these "tests" then groovy man.

BUT, what if you are not so lucky, and you are honing and stropping, and honing and stropping, then shaving and the shave sucks. And then you hone and strop, and hone and strop some more... shave sucks....(and maybe somewhere down the line, finally you get a good shave, but why? What happened different? At what point did things change? Is this scenario familiar?)

Isn't it nice to have a few indicator tests in your pocket that could tell you why your honing and stropping results in a sucky shave? Or a good shave?

I dunno, I always thought so.

Just my opinion. (hey, it's all good )


Scott