HHT Question - Sewing thread test?

I am reading allot, lately, about the "Hanging Hair Test" and I would like to know if anyone uses thin sewing thread for the test? Does anyone see a reason not to use thin sewing thread?

What I have in mind is that if a specific thread is used, then the test could almost be universal in application and rules out hair types, what's on the hair, etc., affecting the test.

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks.

Great White Shavealo said:

I am reading allot, lately, about the "Hanging Hair Test" and I would like to know if anyone uses thin sewing thread for the test? Does anyone see a reason not to use thin sewing thread?

What I have in mind is that if a specific thread is used, then the test could almost be universal in application and rules out hair types, what's on the hair, etc., affecting the test.

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks.

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Never tried it, not sure if it would work. The HHT works by the blade slipping between "shingles"

This is an electron micrograph of human hair



You can try it and report back.

Thanks Doc. I will likely try it... once I can find thin enough thread in my wife's sewing kit.

How about using synthetic "hair" as found in hair extensions? I have seen one honing guru on YouTube using synthetic hair (presumably synthetic hair doesn't have shingles) from hair extensions as a good test. Anyone here use synthetic hair from hair extensions or wigs that can comment?

Great White Shavealo said:

Thanks Doc. I will likely try it... once I can find thin enough thread in my wife's sewing kit.

How about using synthetic "hair" as found in hair extensions? I have seen one honing guru on YouTube using synthetic hair (presumably synthetic hair doesn't have shingles) from hair extensions as a good test. Anyone here use synthetic hair from hair extensions or wigs that can comment?

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I would think that synthetic hair would also lack the shingles as it would be smooth threads of nylon or something. I think though you can get hair extensions with real hair and I can imagine you can use that.

i have read people doing HHT with hair with tips to blade, not root... how does the shingle structure explain that success?

I got chastised for even touching it... I found a hair in a hotel room and tried it, because mine are too short. I was honing and couldn't get anything to pass any HHT with that hair. I finally realized it was synthetic.

I do agree that a standard test would be nice. I've seen jokes about an ISO calibrated hair, but there's some truth to that. My own hair, when long enough, works great. But my wife's thin hair is almost impervious. My son's straight, course red hair is easy to work with. It's become my standard. In fact, if anyone wants to buy some of my wife's red-headed stepchild's calibrated hairs I'm sure I could work out a nice per-strand price.

rossvtaylor said:

I finally realized it was synthetic.

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Your tag line right there

My wife spins yarn and I've tried a few a few types of natural wool fibre, it generally works pretty well.

rossvtaylor said:

I've seen jokes about an ISO calibrated hair

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HAHA! That is too funny! I'll have to remember that one.

Proinsias said:

My wife spins yarn and I've tried a few a few types of natural wool fibre, it generally works pretty well.

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Ah, ha! See... I knew I should ask the community. That gives me a good idea. My wife does knitting... next time we go to the knitting supply shop (yes, there actually is one!) I will see if they have a roll of wool fibre. Great comment!

Wool also has scales, that is why you can spin it. A commercial thread might well work. Regardless of the fiber a spun thread has a structure that should grab an edge and cut. Whether it would have the range of sensitivity of a single hair is an open question. I remember Larry of whipped dog talked about experimenting w monofilament a year or so back but as I recall it didn't work, probably because of the lack of scales.

i just did a test of HHT on a refinished Jnat, using my chest hair and my wifes hair. my chest hair result was HHT4 (pinged every time) and against my wife's hair the result was HHT5... not a sound...

global_dev said:

i just did a test of HHT on a refinished Jnat, using my chest hair and my wifes hair. my chest hair result was HHT4 (pinged every time) and against my wife's hair the result was HHT5... not a sound...

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Looks like I will be reading your journal to see how that bad boy shaves! Nice work on honing. I received my coticule from Jarrod a couple days ago. I need to flatten it, but even though I am itching to start using it, I want to hold off until I get consistent results from my synthetic hones. I like a good baseline to fall back on.

Brownbear said:

I remember Larry of whipped dog talked about experimenting w monofilament a year or so back but as I recall it didn't work, probably because of the lack of scales.

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That's still a pretty awesome idea. Would have been really great if it worked.

The only test that counts is the shave test.

fccexpert said:

The only test that counts is the shave test.

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I think the idea, though, is not to put a rough razor to our faces. So a viable test of some sort to show "shave worthiness" is to our advantage.

Doc226 said:

Your tag line right there

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Well, that's the second time that's been suggested so I've gone for it. Thanks!

fccexpert said:

The only test that counts is the shave test.

Great White Shavealo said:

I think the idea, though, is not to put a rough razor to our faces. So a viable test of some sort to show "shave worthiness" is to our advantage.

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+1

The tests that count are the ones you find useful.

Doc suggested above that I test some thread and post back the results, and I have run a test.

I found the thinnest thread I could (I can't tell how thin it was from a measurement listed on the spool. It was just the thinnest available from a sewing store), made out of cotton, and tested it against my razors. I wouldn't doubt that Doc would have guessed, with many, that the test would fail... and it... ... ... did.

There was just nothing for the edge of the blade to grip onto. Or, it could be that my razor was just not sharp enough to bite into the thread. I think the later is true, but then I have to wonder if my blade was that sharp, would I get a comfortable shave? Would it bite into my skin just upon contact? I don't even want to go there!

I also received a cheap-o hair piece from Amazon in the mail today. For about four dollars I have a lock of thick brown hair which is supposed to be 100% human hair. I tested one hair against my Dovo 5/8 (same blade used in the cotton thread test) and it does HHT 4 all along the blade, all day long.

So, the cotton thread doesn't work. A hair piece will, but it is going to be hard to get a standardized HHT out of 100% human hair because of all the variables involved... even if a hair extension is ordered from the same place.

I will see if I can get my hands on some wool as suggested above. Perhaps that will offer more consistency and then a real standard could be had. As it stands, the HHT is just too subjective for me to be worth much at all. I won't ignore it, but I won't put much stock into either.

Just go to a hair dresser and ask. They throw bags of the stuff out every day.

You may look kind of creepy... But it would be an easy solution.

legion said:

Just go to a hair dresser and ask. They throw bags of the stuff out every day.

You may look kind of creepy... But it would be an easy solution.

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Just tell them it's for your "collection"

legion said:

Just go to a hair dresser and ask. They throw bags of the stuff out every day.

You may look kind of creepy... But it would be an easy solution.

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Or just walk up to people and ask if you can brush there hair.