Hanging Hair Test

[Brutus]

On a different forum straight shaving members seem to pay a lot of attention to the Hanging Hair Test, or HHT as they like to call it.

While I may (or may not) shave some hairs off my arm when I take a new arrival through the various hones, I don’t pay any attention to the hanging hair test.

I consider it fairly meaningless, belonging to the group who believes that if the proof of the pudding lies in the eating then the proof of the honing lies in the shave.
Maybe it is hubris, but the way the razor pulls on the Naniwas and final 20K Gokumyo tells me clearly enough whether the blade is ready for the next finer grit or for the strop. And if I should get it wrong, then I go back a fews grits and start again.

How do you hold it?
Do you perform the HHT?

I would find it difficult, because a) my hair is fairly short and b) getting close to 72 there is so little left that I consider asking the barber for a discount when he cuts my hair.




B.

[brothers]

Cutt'n hair is the name of the game. The only hair I cut with my razors - straight or safety - grows on my face.
If they don't cut I change the disposable or sharpen the open blade. Fooling around with one long detached silly hair? Not me.

[drmoss_ca]

A head of fine blonde (OK, now grey) hair isn't much use for this. It just moves aside, even if I try it with a new DE blade. The moment I know for sure that I have honed correctly is when I feel under my chin after an upwards pass: if smooth, all is well. If stubbly, hone again.

C.

[EL Alamein]

Hi Brutus,

I rely on the HHT test in my own routine. I use my wife's hair from her hairbrush when I need a tester.

When I take the hair out I find the root by lightly pinching the hair between my index finger and thumb and sliding it out. You can feel the root as a tiny bulb at one end of the hair. I identify the root because the way I test I angle the blade towards the tip of the hair. This is the more difficult way to cut the air and if my blade is truly keen it will cut through the hair easily and near silently angled this way. The hair is much easier to cut if one angles toward the root - something I don't want because I want the blade to be keen enough to do it the hard way easily.

Practice brings familiarity with the vagaries of performing this test. That familiarity will help anyone to determine if they find such a test useful. I have always found it a good indicator for me so I practice it. It takes but a few seconds.

Also gaining such familiarity has helped me to identify when I have a wire edge or a harsh edge. These edges produce their own sounds and feedback that a practitioner will become familiar with.

As always the shave test is the ultimate test. I have never had an edge that has passed the HHT not perform as I expect. YMMV.

Chris