The HHT and DE blades - A little help please

So I have a question, actually a favor to ask of all of you "Brother's of the Blade" on this side of the Wetshaving fence..

In the straight shaving world the HHT or hanging hair test is a huge contreversy as to how well it works for testing edges.
I was thinking that if I could enlist a bit of help from you gents to test your edges with the HHT and report back in this thread as to your results it would help me to see what the pass/fail rate is without the variable of honing added to the mix..

A true HHT is where you simply take a piece of Head hair and hold it in your fingers, then slowly bring it straight down on the razors edge without pulling or cutting action to see if the hair is cleanly severed by the edge.. The edge should be about 1/2 - 3/4 of 1 inch from your finger tips.. Try holding the hair both ways, from the root end and from the outside end..

The only thing I am really looking for is if it works for you, if you guys want to post the type of blade that would perhaps be of use to you gents but not to me..

Remember you are not trying to get it to pop please don't manipulate the hair it will throw off the information, also sometimes the hair doesn't pop it folds around the edge and twists, I would be interested in knowing that too..

I say "Thanks In advance" to any of you that take the time to help me in this test it is much appreciated.

 

This is a great idea, Glen. I have thought about trying the HHT on my DE blades to see how it compares to my straights, but never actually got around to doing it. I'll give it a try and let you know.

 

Great idea, Glen. I'll test my blades as well. But do you want us to test the blades as we're using them? After x shaves? New blades? Dayly? Or is that of no importance and is it just about if it works or not?

BTW: I had tried it already on my Rolls Razor blades (still trying to get them sharp enough), but the protection bar around the blades is in the way...

 

Can hairs from someplace other than the head work? Being a head shaver I don't have any .

Wait, I'm a head shaver

 

Glen, I am sorry I can't help you. Mainly because I have the same reason as Curly does, but maybe Moe...

 

If you are careful, the bar on the rolls can be removed and replaced. I doubt any of my rolls blades could come close to passing the HHT.

While I would love to see the data, I can't help. My head is as close to shaved as can be done without actually shaving it (1/16 guard used with a Wahl just yesterday).

 

Perhaps the SWMBO's

I would have to say when the blade is new, but you guys know this better than I do perhaps once when it is new and once after the first shave ????

 

I will use a Feather a Shark and a Derby tomorrow for the HHT. My hair is too short to make the grade so I'll borrow some of my wifes. Wait, ... maybe I'll just sneak into the bedroom now and cut off some of her hair... I just hope she doesn't wake up with me standing over her holding a pair of scissors! Wish me luck..

 

I tried that once as a Halloween prank. It didn't end well.

 

I think the HHT test is a bit controversial. I like to do the shave test, but in the sense of this post every DE blade I have ever used has passed the HHT test. Some of my straights require a little bit of a pull which are considered to "not" pass the HHT but still provide superior shaves.

I also have a full wedge straight that passes the HHT so perfect that it seems the hair doesn't even touch the blade and it is my worst shaver by far.

 

Okay, so I finally got some of my wifes hair. I did the test on the Shark first. It sliced right thru. Then I tried the Feather. For the life of me I couldn't get it to cut on the downward movement. Not sure why as I have heard all the horror stories over the past year concerning how sharp Feathers were. I do prefer them to the Shark when they are in my 34c or 59 Fatboy but I sure can't make anything out of the test.

 

Thanks for taking the Time to test them Turk, much appreciated

 

Monday I'll take out a fresh blade. Will let you know how it performs pre and post shave. In the meantime: have a great weekend!

 

Ok, I tried one SE blade and 3 DE blades

The SE blade popped easily first try either end. It was a Ted Pella.

The DEs:

• Lord Platinum: popped both ends but took a few tries on one side and when it did it curled the end of the hair so I may have had a little tangential movement in there as well
• Wally Wilki1: popped after several attempts, I had to choke up on the hair because it was bending. The hair didn't curl at the tips like with the Lord but you could tell it was slimmed down, both tip and root ends.
• Wally Wilki2: a lot of the same as Wally Wilki1 but more of it. Took many more attempts to get it to pop and I had to choke up on the hair.

At this point in time () Glen, I sincerely hope these data points help you.

 

Green 7 O'Clock SS - passed HHT with ease on both sides (pops the hair).
1 shave - one side has some spots that don't passes HHT
2 shave - both sides has such spots
3 shave - same as 2
4 shave - the sharpness degrade noticeably. HHT fault almost everywhere on both sides. But the blade still delivers good shaves
5 shave - same as 4
6 shave - cannot perform HHT
7 shave - the last one, retired the blade.

Silver star blade - passes HHT, not as good as Green 7OC, not shave-tested yet, just took one to compare to...
Red Pack Personna - passes HHT, no 'pops', but catches the hair in a moment, not shave-tested yet, just took one to compare to...
Hope it will help...

 

I've tried it in the past on Derby, Astra, and Shark blades and they have all passed. Incidentally, none of my straights pass (even the one honed by Lynn) but all of them are great shavers. FWIW

 

Straights and HHT are one big question mark for me. My W&B shaves just nice, but passes HHT only after honing. 4/8 Rebell passes with ease (pops hairs) but the quality of shaving varies and depends of stropping. TSD wedge cuts as laser scalpel but somehow passes HHT hardly 50% of the length of it's blade. I think one day I just need to re hone all of my razors and see what will happen.

 

Took a brand new Merkur blade this morning. Failed! Big time!
Post shave failed as well.

Tomorrow morning I'll put it in the Allegro sharpener. See how it turns out...
"I'll be bahk" <terminator accent>

 

Hey Glen. You know what I think already, but........... I have a couple of blades in use so: Feathers will almost always pop a hair off of the skin. SE blades, well the Gem Stainless will pop a hair, but will pop better after a shave at least for me. Persona Reds will pop, but have to be at the just the right angle.

Straights are quite subjective..............Wait............kinda like DE's. I think it is subjective and the HHT is just an indication of how any given blade will shave for me.

You have honed many razors for me and all of them are smooth as can be, but not all of them pop hairs the same up off of the skin. So in my opinion it is a start, a test, but not a difinitive answer. All razor blades that are new, and are in fact mostly sharp as a razor, but not all of them are shave ready for MY face.

That is why I hated my old DE back in the early 70's and now I know what to look for now. In this instance I can say "thanks for diversity".

Will N.