Thread: How can you tell if your blade is sharp?

As always, after I posted my questions, I ended up reading the wiki here and also at classicshaving.com. Its also interesting to read input from fellow members of the board. Im nearing the 36 hr period when I have to shave again to I'll give it a shot tonight! :-)

I'm brand new to SR and was wondering the same thing about the HHT..Thanks everyone

1. How do you test to know your blade is the sharpest it can be?

I use the shave test, as my HHT is unreliable.

2. How many times do you run the blade on the strop before you shave?

Usually 50 laps (1 lap is up and down the strop), but I have a str8 that needs 100 laps on the leather.

3. When do you use the stropping paste?

I got some CrO 0.5 micron from ChrisL and put it on a block of balsa. When a razor starts to pull uncomfortably on ATG, I give it 5 laps on my CrO balsa paddle and the pull goes away. When the CrO doesn't restore the edge, it's time for a touch-up hone.

4. When do you use the linen side of a two-sided strop?

I give 40-50 laps on unpasted linen before I strop on the leather.

I could never get the HHT to work. On my third week of bad shaving, I decided to grab the brand new Atra and clean up my remaining stubble. It shaved so nicely! I had never used it as it came free with my brush and I am transitioning from electric to straight. I then decided that the razor I was using was NOT sharp. Since I ordered this shave ready, I then started to question my stropping. After revisiting the stropping technique here is what I found out.

- Stropping does matter!!!
- Bad stropping dulls the blade.
- The sharpness may be recovered from good stropping.
- A slightly curved strop means little blade contact. (across the width)

I decided to slowly strop on the linen side, watching the edge and making sure I did it right and with NO pressure. I switched to the leather side and saw the strop was curved. I then worked it over, bending it LIGHTLY to get something that was more flat. I did the same on this side. I found my left hand liked to loosen the strap and so I kept needing to retighten it. The right hand was ever so loose. After doing this process about 200 times each side (blocks of 50/50), I can now pass the HHT at the heal of the blade and almost pass it near the toe. At the toe, it will cut, but then peel.

*** HHT works!
*** Good stropping matters!!

Good luck.