Thread: Taping the EDGE

I think the width and the angle are both important factors in getting a comfortable shave. Especially from a full hollow ground razor.

You should look at the shape of the blade, the curvature by looking from the front rather than the sides of the razor. Its thickest at the spine and then it tapers to the edge. As you remove the thinnest part of the blade, the flex of the blade reduces and for me this reduces the comfort of the shave. Its common sense.

The ratio of thin versus thick seems to stay in proportion for whatever size the original blade is.

So if you take a 6/8" razor and reduce the edge by 1/6" you physically will get a blade that measures 5/8".

But don't be fooled that it will feel or shave the same as a an original 5/8" razor. It won't.

As for the angle, ofcourse it matters. The initial angle is set by holding the blade flat down on a spinning hone. The hone looks like a potters spinning wheel. The hone lays a flat bevel on the spine that is vertically in line with the bevel made on the edge at the same time. I believe you get the best shaves from a razor just so long as you keep this geometry intact. Breadknifing the edge, or taping the blade or the spine distorts the realtionship between the spine bevel and the edge bevel. There are reasons to do this if you are repairing a badly worn or damaged razor. Some argue that with razors with fancy spines or gold embossed spines, that tape protects the ornamentation . Some use tape to hone a secondary bevel to gain some extra smoothness and sharpness out of the edge. But changing the original geometry is in my opinion not a good idea and for me at least, once you have honed a 1/16" off the blade, the comfort and the feel of the razor is changed significantly from the original state.

Some forum members argue that just so long as the blade gives a good comfortable shave, there is no problem. I don't disagree with them. I also don't care if people use tape. I just think you should know that such a blade will feel different to a new blade with all the angles and width and tapers correctly in place.

I like to know what I am buying when I purchase a second hand razor. I like to know the history so I can determine how it might feel and in this respect, width and geometry matters.

Again I have to somewhat agree with the English-man
But would state it a different way... An older used razor feels different than a Brand New / NOS Razor.... Ummmmmm Yeah we know

But most of us don't want to toss the razors that have 1/8 or more blade wear at this moment in time.... so we try to keep them shaving....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Again I have to somewhat agree with the English-man
But would state it a different way... An older used razor feels different than a Brand New / NOS Razor.... Ummmmmm Yeah we know

But most of us don't want to toss the razors that have 1/8 or more blade wear at this moment in time.... so we try to keep them shaving....

Not true with a wedge right? Maybe only with full hollows?

Hmmmmm I would think that it would not matter really, despite the blade contour as you move toward the spine, you are getting into thicker and thicker metal "the Belly of the Blade" so that would be changing the "feel"
But on the reverse side of that it seems that wedges / near wedges wear slower too

English has pretty much summed up my belief, the edge is different and stiffer once a significant part of the blade is honed away. 1/16" on a 5/8 blade is 10% while it will be different it will merely shave like a less hollow ground razor... for folks using the half and quarter hollows they will probably never notice the difference but those who use very hollow ground razors the blade flex and comfort is degraded.

yes honing without taping the spine will in time lead to wide flat spots of hone wear on the spine but the shave quality will only slowly degrade as far as i can tell.

my contention is that there is truly an optimum angle based on the type of grind and blade width.


Glen... the only taping thread i can remember was all about how much/ if taping effects the quality of the shaving edge as in how much it might change the angle at the apex.

Originally Posted by syslight

yes honing without taping the spine will in time lead to wide flat spots of hone wear on the spine but the shave quality will only slowly degrade as far as i can tell.

That's what I was ruminating about earlier. Even if the hone wear spots on the spine get wider (and flatter) the spine should still decrease in width at the same rate it did when the hone wear spots were thinner (and less flat).

Originally Posted by Quick

That's what I was ruminating about earlier. Even if the hone wear spots on the spine get wider (and flatter) the spine should still decrease in width at the same rate it did when the hone wear spots were thinner (and less flat).

If I were to come across a razor that had that had uneven wear on the spine I would probably pass on it unless it was a make or model I really wanted badly. In that case I would probably send it out for a regrind rather then trying to restore it myself. Edges are one thing but spines are for me a horse of a different color.

One more thing that comes to mind is my father telling me years ago that the further up you get into the blade of a pocket knife the temper changes. When you get a pocket knife that is honed to the point where the edge is now up into the belly of the blade the temper is not as hard as it was in the original edge.

I am not sure if this is correct but it made sense to me and if it is correct that means that the spine may be softer then the metal at the edge and wear at a faster rate if not taped. More knowledgeable members on the mysteries of temper and metallurgy will no doubt correct me if I am wrong.