Hanging hair test... seriously?

[rjm]

I bought a Dovo and strop setup about a month ago. I'm having a heck of a time getting anything but a rash-ridden face after shaving with this thing. Was getting very frustrated, then found this hidden gem of a forum. As I was reading, I saw reference to the hanging hair test.

Will a properly sharp razor truly cut a hair that's laid across it with NO pressure? Seriously?

If that's true, then this explains why I'm about ready to throw this stuff in the trash and call this $200 wasted, because my razor can't do THAT. I've rehoned (I actually was shown how to do this by a barber years ago), and stropped with several different "techniques"... it gets better at random intervals, but the "sharpness" (if you can call it that) seems to wear off after a couple of swipes.

Most of the shaving drags terribly, snags, jumps... Once I get to my neck, I'm practically plucking the hairs out of my skin (and scraping a heck of a rash into my face and neck).

Haven't cut myself, though! Thankful for that...

Anyway... I'm guessing at this point it sounds like I have a poorly sharpened blade?

[axel]

Hi,

yes, it indeed sounds like a dull blade. Given that the sharpness you get does not last, either, you could also be overhoning (doing too much) and creating a wire-edge that will not last.

The hanging-hair-test (HHT) is a bit of a problem, as people's hair differs and thus also the results from the HHT. Nevertheless, to answer your question: yes, for me a pretty good indication of shaving sharpness is that a razor "pops" the hair pushed against it with negligible pressure.

To give a more concrete advice it would be helpful to know what your honing/stropping setup looks like, especially which grit(s) the hone has, if you have pasted strops etc.

Also, another remark from my own, long learning experience of honing: do not jump in techniques. For starters go with one commonly agreed upon and then stick to it until you mastered that one - believe me, I learned it the hard way :-)

So far from my side,
-Axel-

[JMT]

I am also a newbie to shaving with a straight so I will not give you any advice except look through the threads o this forume regerding straight razors. Another really good forum for straight razor users is

www.straightrazorplace.com.

That forum is dedicated to straightrazors and there are alot of people who
have been using a straight for a long time.
That being said you may want to consider having the razor honed by an expert. I was in your shoes and ready to give up straight razor shaving until I got a razor that had been professionally honed. The difference was amazing. It not only restred my faith in straight razor shaving but it gave me a basis for comparison for any future honing I might do.

[Rik]

Very few razors are shave ready from the factory.

The hanging hair test is a very valuable reference. I won't even consider moving a razor from the hone to a strop until it passes this test on the heal, middle and toe of both sides of the razor. The hair should literally pop when touched to the blade.

Keep in mind that the hair I'm using is gathered from the trimmings of my goatee - much coarser than what's on top of my head. If you are clean shaven, an inexpensive boar hair shaving brush will work.

I'd recommend contacting Randy Tuttle here and at straightrazorplace.com. You won't find a nicer, more knowledgeable guy who can produce a scary sharp razor.

Keep at it! Shaving with a straight razor is one of my most pleasurable rituals.

[JohnP]

Yeah, it can be done, although different people do it differently.
Here is a pic of the only razor I've ever sold, passing the hanging hair test before I put it up on eBay. Had to have help taking the photo, that hair got cut lots of times before I got the pic I wanted. I forget who, but it was a member here or over at SRP who bought it from me. On a side note, ERN's are good razors IMHO.
http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=57

When you get your first razor to pass that test (or the thumbnail/thumbtip test) it is a huge sense of accomplishment...followed by a "Oh, so THAT'S how its done..."
Also, note I pull the hair down onto the razor's edge, and do not "swing" the razor at the hair... This is to prevent the loss of fingertips, as experienced by some of our members.....(I've sliced mine once or twice when using a barber's hone...you don't even feel the cut until blood gets on the hone...)
I've had good edges on razors I've bought from David Wessel, John Crowley, Lynn Abrams, even every so often, myself. There are quite a few good hands at the hone out there....you'll get the hang of it and you'll be hooked.
John P.

[rjm]

To give a more concrete advice it would be helpful to know what your honing/stropping setup looks like, especially which grit(s) the hone has, if you have pasted strops etc.


Well, my honing setup is one I use for a variety of fine woodworking tools (don't snort yet!). It's a piece of high-grade, dead-flat plate glass upon which I adhere diamond microgrit papers ranging from 800-2000. So, I used that initially. I use a little lightweight household machine oil as lube. I'm "pushing" the blade on the hone, and pulling on strop.

My strops, however, aren't pasted. I went from the 2000 grit hone to a canvas strop (so, this is the step I least understand... but someone told be to rub soap into the strop, so I did on one side... was that stupid?) , then to a russian leather. Oh, they're hanging strops (not paddles). When stropping, I'm laying hooking it and holding it on top of my counter.

Looking at the blade under a high-power magnifier, it looks even and there aren't any shiny spots... but, for most of my hairs (including my head hair, which is somewhat light weight), I have to "slice" to cut through.

Perhaps I'm just an inept honer or my micro-grits aren't suitable for razors.

[axel]

Hi rjm,

the usual grit recommended for finishing a shave-worthy edge is more in the range of 6k-8k and above. These values are for Japanese waterstones, though - right now I am not 100% sure whether this is really comparable to 2000 grit FEPA or something alike.

Aside from that I have made very good experiences using pasted strops, so as you got yourself a "nearly there" razor using your method I would say that using a pasted strop with green chromium-oxide paste should really improve the edge.

The canvas strop is fine (don't know about the soap part, though ;) ), but don't use this right after honing. This is more to lengthen the usability of a razor in use, so its first used before the second shave - and only very lightly then.

WRT the hanging strop: from your explanation I read that you use it laid flat on a table ? If yes, use it hanging instead. The added flexibility will help in keeping your razor sharp (but keep the strop real taut all times !).

Finally, a word on pressure: for me the key part of honing was concentrating on using as little pressure as possible, especially in the final touchup phase. It may be that your honing setup is ok, but you use too much pressure. In the end its more a "keeping the razor level on the stone/paper" while trying to use as little pressure as possible - imagine brushing a feather across the stone/paper.

I hope this is of help for you, good luck,

-Axel-