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What kind of hair for Hanging Hair test?

Hi Gentlemen,

I would like to know something. What kind of hair do you need to test the Hanging Hair Test? My razor (honed this morning by LX_Emergency and myself watching him:lol:) pops a hair from my badger brush or my sideburns/eyebrows, but he doesn't pop a fine headhair from my mother like a DE-blade. Or is comparing the edge on a straight with a de-blade unrealistic?

(Not questioning LX_Emergency's honing skills, but just wanted to know!)

Thanks in advance!
 
I have never been able to get the HHT test to pass with my hair even with blades that were professionally honed and shaved butter smooth, obviously it depends on hair type (my hair seems fine) but as a whole I think it is a judgement test that is over rated, and the only test that matters is how well they shave. I would imagine thicker and or stiffer hair would work best for that though.
 
I second that, I have an old boar brush that the hair falls out of quite easily. I use those for testing cause my wifey's hair is too fine.

Still, it's only a parlor trick.
 
I use my wife's hair, and it is fine, and my blade passes along the entire length or I don't use it on my face. I am sure that different people do things differently but I like sharp razors and I get shaves that are nice and smooth and less irritating that a M3. I shave with a extremely light touch which cuts irritation down to a minimum.


Take Care,
Richard
 
+1 on the shave. I have been able to do the HHT on my goatee hair. I've not been able to do it with my Wife's hair (from her brush). With the goatee hair, it's off the 8k norton not the 4k side.

Kind regards,
 
Seems to me, even if it's deadly sharp, if you have the edge nice n' smooth lightweight hair can slip over it without cutting. Even if it gives you a "let the blade wipe the hair away" shave.
 
If a razor is sharp enough it will cut a Hanging Hair and you will not feel the tug as you go by the top of the blade. I will agree if you sharpen to much you get an edge that is very delicate. There is a balance to be made here. Everyone has different expectations in a blade. The sharper the blade the more you can lay it down and the less pressure that you need to get a really good shave. One week I shaved twice a day. Shave one was a 3 pass shave and then at night it was a 2 pass shave. I had little or no irritation. I personally like really sharp!

Take care,
Richard
 
Seems to me, even if it's deadly sharp, if you have the edge nice n' smooth lightweight hair can slip over it without cutting. Even if it gives you a "let the blade wipe the hair away" shave.
+1

The hair has to catch to cut. Ideally it should cut a hanging hair, but some of my best shavers don't. You are trying for a balance between feather sharp, and smooth, and sometimes it's nice to err on the side of smooth.


I have sharpened razors, taking them all the way through 12000 grit, and 1/4 micron diamond paste... and had them fail HHT miserably. That didn't make them dull, or not shave ready, they just didn't grab the hair.:tongue_sm
 
Hi guys,

Many thanks for your input. I now have a more complete or realistic view on this matter! Will only use the shavetest in the future to decide whether it's ready or not!
I will try out stropping on a newspaper today, Mike!
 
+1

The hair has to catch to cut. Ideally it should cut a hanging hair, but some of my best shavers don't. You are trying for a balance between feather sharp, and smooth, and sometimes it's nice to err on the side of smooth.


I have sharpened razors, taking them all the way through 12000 grit, and 1/4 micron diamond paste... and had them fail HHT miserably. That didn't make them dull, or not shave ready, they just didn't grab the hair.:tongue_sm

I would love to do a S.E.M. of a razor that doesn't pass the HHT, but is a great shaver, and compare it to a "grab a fine hair and cut it" razor.

To my knowledge, there hasn't been a comparative analysis like this yet. Would be cool to see what's really going on.
 
I like to use Boar hair for testing. This of course is about the easiest to cut. Just use it as a gauge to see where I am at in the honing process. Typically if it won't catch or cut the Boar hair, it won't shave very well. Some razors will cut thin human hair but usually after a good stropping. I do have a stainless blade that it is extremely sharp and will cut fine hair before stropping and shaves great. I have other razors that shave great that will not do this. So that is why I only use the Boar hair or now most of the time just feel the edge with my thumb.

Glen
 
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