Phillip, welcome to the Wicked Edge Forum.
It sounds as though you’re doing quite well with your sharpening. Good deal !!!! Those are sharp knives!.
I understand your desire to compare the sharpness of your knives and have a basis for comparison for this quality. Quantifying sharpness for relative comparison, one knife to another, is a difficult thing to do. Not to burst your bubble…IMO, the HHT is a very subjective sharpness test. It’s very dependent on the tester’s hair they used. Arm hair, head hair, leg hair? Everyone’s hair differs some in softness, thickness or coarseness so they may all cut differently. Also judging exactly how the hair was actually cut, and fell off the edge and defining that observation within the tests parameters may be open to interpretation and discussion. Those observations being subjective, also.
Even a sharpness tester like a BESS Edge-On-Up that quantifies sharpness by the manually applied edge pressure needed to cut a standardized test medium lacks test control standards. That test is very dependent on the tester’s method and the way the test medium is setup in the test holder. I think only a standardized/mechanized, hands-free testing device can be close to objective and a better measure to quantify sharpness.
To not overcomplicate sharpness testing and not to take all the fun and pride out of seeing how well your sharpened knives cut, a sharpened knife edge that shaves hair is indeed sharp and was obviously sharpened correctly and well. There’s no disputing that. You are definitely using your Wicked Edge well and as it’s intended to be used.
The only tip I can share that may improve your outcomes if even just slightly better then you’re seeing now, is to spend more time and effort with each step. With each grit stone and medium you use in your sharpening/polishing progression. When you think you’ve done enough and your finished with that stone, just give the knife edge a few more strokes. Pay a little better attention to details like finger placement, applied pressure and paddle placement and the edge contact your making with it. Consistency is key. Until you use a magnified visual aid like the jeweler’s loupe, that you’re wanting, that will actually allow you to see the physical results of efforts, so you can correct for improved outcomes. That’s about all I can suggest.
You’re doing well, congratulations…enjoy using your sharp knives. They’ll put a smile on your face.😄 For me, that’s what it’s all about.
.
.