Thread: Why tape the spine?

You need to clarify on this, one layer of tape.... Does not effect the angle enough to worry about...

Double bevels multiple layers etc:etc: do change things somewhat...

Here are some things that 1 layer of tape does accomplish....
the positives:

No spine wear
1/2 or less of the wear to your hone
1/2 or less swarf on the hone so more longevity from your hone since you have to lap it less...
Automatically increasing what RandyDance likes to call "torque" to the edge..
Easier action on the hone since the tape slides much easier then the steel spine does....
Smaller more even bevel since the tape will negate a lot of spine problems...


Now the negatives:

You don't get the natural spine wear (keep in mind when you first start honing it is quite a bit)
You can feel the difference.... (I seriously doubt this in a blind test)

Heck I don't know other than the spine wear they are pretty much opinions...


This is of course all, JMHO.... take it for what it is worth

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Here are some things that 1 layer of tape does accomplish....
the positives:
...
Automatically increasing what RandyDance likes to call "torque" to the edge..
...

As usual Glen, you have added insight with your posts, and made a light go on for me.

(I tape a small percentage of the time, with no apology: for expensive/mint razors, or for the occasional razor that won't seem to take an edge with my limited skill level any other way. It simply works.)

A while back I acquired a nice Nakayama Asagi from Old_School. For some reason, the difference in draw on the Asagi with tape vs. un-taped is much more noticeable than on any other hone I've used. I've been getting outstanding results with taped razors on the Asagi, and I think it may be directly due to this enhanced torque effect from the tape.

I don't have the "feel for the steel" that some have, but I'm surely trying. Using a feather light touch with tape seems to help me keep the edge pinned to the Asagi surface throughout the stroke, while countering my naturally too-heavy honing hand.

For Dave Martell....... Jerry from Reading PA here; Over the years I have acquired a number of razors that have been honed to death. It's a fair guarantee that they were never taped. It's also a fair guarantee that you would be more willing to buy my razors that were taped than my razors that were never taped. YES?/NO?
And you might be willing to let your hanging strop sag just a bit when you take the tape off. I think it's a matter of feel just like all aspects of honing and stropping..... YES?/NO?
That CrOx paste and powder you sold me has a nice FEEL to it...........!!! JERRY

I reworked a really bad hone job on an old Frederick Reynolds (near true) wedge last night and to be truthful the thought of using tape was creeping from the back to the front of my mind the further along I got. I didn't give in to the urge simply because I wanted to see how tough it was to fix the mess and set a bevel without the help of tape and admittedly the task sucked.

So I concede that for at least this type of job I can see why one would tape the spine - it's just a hell of a lot easier. I can also see where using tape to keep the hone line to a minimum on a vintage or new razor would also have merit.

Thanks again to everyone for shedding light on this for me.

Has anyone tried using PTFE tape? It's thinner, but I'm not sure how you could make it stay in place.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Has anyone tried using PTFE tape? It's thinner, but I'm not sure how you could make it stay in place.

Electrical tape will hold it in place.

I did try scotch tape but it doesn't lend itself to making the fold without wrinkling or to sticking well with the water encountered.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I did try scotch tape but it doesn't lend itself to making the fold without wrinkling or to sticking well with the water encountered.

scotch tape is also nearly invisible. I honed through the tape once without realizing it and ended up with some uneven spine wear

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You need to clarify on this, one layer of tape.... Does not effect the angle enough to worry about...

Double bevels multiple layers etc:etc: do change things somewhat...

Here are some things that 1 layer of tape does accomplish....
the positives:

No spine wear
1/2 or less of the wear to your hone
1/2 or less swarf on the hone so more longevity from your hone since you have to lap it less...
Automatically increasing what RandyDance likes to call "torque" to the edge..
Easier action on the hone since the tape slides much easier then the steel spine does....
Smaller more even bevel since the tape will negate a lot of spine problems...


Now the negatives:

You don't get the natural spine wear (keep in mind when you first start honing it is quite a bit)
You can feel the difference.... (I seriously doubt this in a blind test)

Heck I don't know other than the spine wear they are pretty much opinions...


This is of course all, JMHO.... take it for what it is worth

Refer to the first few pages of your thread those are just some of the reasons other people had more....

I did shave with the R. Muse' k - no tape-(If anyone has heard of this razor and has info let me know) and got a decent shave. Better (a little) than yesterday's with tape. Is that because I am more used to the blade?

Honing tonight with tape. I get to use my Nakayama again tonight