stupid questions: shave-testing razor(s) multiple times after honing

[TimS]

These are likely stupid questions, but I need a little clarification. Often, someone will post about honing up to a certain grit or so many strokes on a stone, 'testing', and then honing some more and testing again (and again?). And then there are those guys that hone many, many razors and then 'shave test' them before selling/returning to owners.

So, are these shave tests a full-up lather on the face (I would assume!), a few strokes with a given razor, and then back to the hone if adjustment required? Making these adjustments while still lathered up? And what about multiple razors that need to get shave tested? Are these guys lathering up with 5 razors in front of them, testing each during the course of a shave? I mean, each of us only has one face and a limited amount of facial hair to shave each day, hence my questions. Please forgive me if I'm overlooking the obvious; I'm still pretty new at all this.

 

[Mike H]

Generally, shave testing is just that - shave testing. You could use multiple razors per shave, but I never have, unless the razor was not shave ready. But I am no honemiester, maybe some one else has a better answer.

 

[tomjr]

i have shave tested multiple razors at one sitting.

 

[Gamma]

i have shave tested multiple razors at one sitting.

+1

 

[California Cajun]

These are likely stupid questions, but I need a little clarification. Often, someone will post about honing up to a certain grit or so many strokes on a stone, 'testing', and then honing some more and testing again (and again?). And then there are those guys that hone many, many razors and then 'shave test' them before selling/returning to owners.

So, are these shave tests a full-up lather on the face (I would assume!), a few strokes with a given razor, and then back to the hone if adjustment required? Making these adjustments while still lathered up? And what about multiple razors that need to get shave tested? Are these guys lathering up with 5 razors in front of them, testing each during the course of a shave? I mean, each of us only has one face and a limited amount of facial hair to shave each day, hence my questions. Please forgive me if I'm overlooking the obvious; I'm still pretty new at all this.

As I found out a few months ago, you asked a very intelligent question. I offered to hone up a beginner's razor because it was beginning to get pricey to have them professionally done and I found out that the blade was crooked. When I shave tested it, it took five passes to get the results that usually only took three. I looked under a little 100K microscope and only half of the blade looked honed. Then I laid it flat on a table and saw what was wrong (actually I described the problem to a professional and he surmised what was happening). That's how you learn a lot about razors, by encountering new situations when it doesn't appear to be working properly. So an experienced, but unprofessional guy like me does the entire face in a shave test.

I saw the owner of Maggard Razors on YouTube shave test two razors on his face, probably because he can detect potential trouble faster given his expertise. I would imagine that people who do nothing but fill orders to make new razors shave ready don't have time to shave test at all, or test one at random.

 

[Doc226]

I think Rickboone is the master of this

 

[smalltank]

I used to shave test all my razors and for awhile now use 4 simple methods...feeling the edge lightly for "grabiness" and option 2...if it feels sharp enough after I set the edge but want to make sure it actually shaves..I shave some hairs off my knuckles...hek ill even ask my wife to shave a few armhairs..if both our hairs get removed effortlessly then razor is coti worthy. .if I want to check after a few knuckle hairs removed as a last resort I look for small armhairs to remove..

 

[Brooksie967]

Generally speaking, before honing begins, you do a once over on the razor. Inspect for uneven honewear, frowns, chips, cracks, warpage, etc. Sometimes these issues are subtle but shouldn't be neglected. Another inspection of the razors edge is done at the end of the honing process. A bevel under magnification tells a lot about a razor.

I really like doing a full out 3 pass shave for every razor I hone. Sometimes you can tell right away, with the first stroke that something has gone wrong. Others you won't notice until you're doing the against the grain pass and you find out that when shaving the thick hair under your chin you are missing some keenness that you like.

Typically if it passes the with the grain pass with your approval, the remainder will be alright but I like not to assume. I've had razors that I guess had a fragile edge. By the end of the 2nd pass, the edge had changed and wasn't performing up to my standard; this means I did something wrong.

As with anything, there are many roads that can get you to your destination, how and when you arrive there is up to you but when you get there you'll know it. Practice makes perfect.

 

[buca3152]

The hardest thing to learn about honing is adjusting your strokes to adjust to the uniqueness of the razor. I dont think Ive ever honed one that was dead flat. Crooked spines, short toes uneven bevels. But it is what it is.

 

[Kentos]

While the "ultimate" test for a hone job is the shave test, there are a few other options that can be almost equally effective.

I should preface that these tests are comparative in nature.

Some use the hanging hair test, thumb nail test, or thumb pad test. There was also the tomato test, leg hair test and arm hair test for bevel sets.

If you practice them, you can predict fairly accurately the shave worthiness of an edge without shaving with it.

 

[Undream]

I have various tests I do at each grit level (bevel setting/1k I use thumb nail test, at higher grit levels I use thumb pad / shaving arm hair / hanging hair), but, seeing as how the shave test is so important, I do in fact shave test every razor that I hone.

I generally shave with 2-5 straight razors when I do shave tests (I hone a lot of razors). What I try to do is lather up fully, and take 2-4 short strokes with every razor I am testing. Immediately I will know during my WTG pass which razors are far above my standard baseline for shave readiness. For those razors that I slightly question, I save them for the XTG/ATG passes, and further evaluate whether I need to take them back to the stones. If I have to take them back to the stones, I will do so on my next honing session - I do not remedy that edge in the middle of a shave. It will go through the 4k/8k/12k range of stones again with any edge that didn't meet my standards during the test shave.

To give you an idea, after honing 1,200+ razors in the past 4.5 years, I still need to re-hone about 1 in 12 or so of the blades I hone. This number has been steadily decreasing (it used to be about 1 in 3 a couple years ago) as I have gained experience and learned the stones that I use.

 

[rickboone1]

I shave test 5-6 razors at one shave. I lather up and have them all in front of me. I can tell in one stroke if it is where I want it. If it passes it goes into the sterilizing liquid then dried and stropped.
Sometimes they are questionable. I shave a little more. Make sure I'm doing it right I guess. If it fails it goes in the redo pile.

 

[MarkO]

While the "ultimate" test for a hone job is the shave test, there are a few other options that can be almost equally effective.

I should preface that these tests are comparative in nature.

Some use the hanging hair test, thumb nail test, or thumb pad test. There was also the tomato test, leg hair test and arm hair test for bevel sets.

If you practice them, you can predict fairly accurately the shave worthiness of an edge without shaving with it.

+1