Thread: Why tape the spine?

Actually Tim starts out with one layer and than finishes with three to form a double bevel which he considers a superior edge.

My personal reason is that with 150 or so razors I decided that rather than try and remember which I honed with tape and which I honed without I might as well hone them all the same way.

This was after starting a poll/thread when I first came around titled "Do you tape the spine". A lot of heat in that thread. Here it is if you want to have a look. Anyhow, I'm glad someone has learned to do it right. How many razors have you honed ?

I can't tell the difference between a razor I taped and one I haven't. When I'm honing however....so much less steel needs to be removed with the razor taped. So much less wear on my Nanis....

But I suppose that comports with the "lazy" theory. However, its only lazy if honing without tape is the correct way. I believe that the closest we can come to "the right way" is the way the custom razor smith designed his razors to be honed.

TZ clearly designs his to be honed with tape. Bill Ellis apparently does too. Not sure what RW recommends if any. Etc, etc.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I absolutely positively will bet ya a beer at the next major Razorcon meet up, that I can hone two twin razors one w/tape and one w/o and you will never ever feel the difference in the shave, just so long as I do the honing and the stropping...

There are just way to many variables involved to make a blanket statement one way or the other...

+1. I can get great honing results with or without tape. Right now, every razor in my rotation (7) gives an easy, smooth shave, having been honed with a single layer of tape. I strop without tape just fine. I do use a hanging strop which has a little slack if compared to a paddle strop -- perhaps that makes a difference when stropping the edge of a razor honed with tape? I.e. the slight slack/give in the hanging strop ensures contact with the edge.

Originally Posted by DaveMartell

I can see three reasons for taping the spine...

1. We want to keep the wear on a vintage razor to a minimum.

2. We want to keep a new pretty razor pretty.

3. We're lazy and don't want to spend the time to hone it the correct way.

I'm not sure I understand your third point. Surely it's more hassle to put some tape on the spine before honing any blade than to just take a naked spine straight to the hone? And are you suggesting that honing it the 'correct way'* (by which I guess you mean without tape) would take longer? "Don't want to spend the time..."

IME honing with or without tape takes just as long. Unless you're trying to achieve a double bevel in which case the whole process (extra layers, establishing the primary bevel, then a second one) would take longer, I imagine, than honing without the tape. So in what way could it be considered lazy?

I can't speak for others here, but a third reason for honing with tape for me is I prefer the feedback I get off my hones when the spine is taped. I can't explain exactly why that is... almost as if the extra resistance/friction tells me how each pass feels. If any given pass is less than perfect (in terms of contact with a narrower hone for example), the difference in feedback becomes extremely obvious. But I concur that's a very subjective reason, but a valid one nonetheless.

Another thought -- perhaps with the tape you had not properly re-established the bevel which had been well set without the tape? And that might also explain why it was easy to get the edge back in shape when you took the tape off and honed again -- the bevel was mostly still set from previous honing without tape? Just a thought.

*Slightly OT, but it's worth noting that the notion of one 'correct way' to hone is, well.... maybe take a look at some of the videos of Mastro Livi honing and it kind of blows that concept out of the water!

Originally Posted by Leighton

I believe that the closest we can come to "the right way" is the way the custom razor smith designed his razors to be honed.

So true! Here's a picture of my custom Livi and the steel cuff he created for it to be used when honing. Given how strongly Dave feels about taping and honing, my guess is this is just going to p1ss him off royally!

Originally Posted by majurey

So true! Here's a picture of my custom Livi and the steel cuff he created for it to be used when honing. Given how strongly Dave feels about taping and honing, my guess is this is just going to p1ss him off royally!

It would be cool if someone started mass marketing those steel honing cuffs..........at least for the big wedges - it would be nice to be able to just slide on the cuff and start honing, rather than laying on layers of tape and measuring them carefully. And you wouldn't worry about the tape eroding as you hone.

I guess it would be hard to do this because you'd need different sizes for different razors, but a guy can dream.

I really have never found this to be the case. If I have a lot of metal to remove like when I am repairing chips or chunks out of an edge, I will tape the spine because I don't want to overly flatten the spine in the repair. As previously mentioned, I also tape when honing Damascus to preserve the pattern. For everyday honing, there should not be that much steel removal whether taping or not.

I have found that this is purely a personal preference. Tim Zowada, who probably started all this when he was just learning to make razors and hone, continued to use this method to preserve his Damascus pattern on the spines and it is a good idea for that in my opinion.

I have not found that taping improves an edge over not taping and have experimented with hundreds if not more razors playing around with this going from no tape up to 3 layers. I have not found taping to make getting an edge any easier either.

It is great however watching the debate continue and good points are being made by all.

Thanks,

Lynn

Originally Posted by Leighton

I can't tell the difference between a razor I taped and one I haven't. When I'm honing however....so much less steel needs to be removed with the razor taped. So much less wear on my Nanis....

Originally Posted by Lynn

I have not found that taping improves an edge over not taping and have experimented with hundreds if not more razors playing around with this going from no tape up to 3 layers. I have not found taping to make getting an edge any easier either.

Lynn, do you also find it doesn't matter if you use tape on thick W&B type wedges?

Originally Posted by loueedacat

Lynn, do you also find it doesn't matter if you use tape on thick W&B type wedges?

I do not use tape when I find one in decent shape. It's just that most are pretty ground up and have a significant amount of damage that needs to be fixed to get them shavable.

Lynn

Now we're getting somewhere. I kinda' felt that I was going to have to get in the ring to defend myself, I'm glad things have taken a turn for the better.

FWIW, I happen to like the spine taping idea in the case of repair work where edge damage has to be removed and spine wear is best kept to a minimum, great trick for this task. In this type of situation I could see myself doing this. Besides that I'll be leaving the tape on the roll for the time being. To each his own though.

I would like to throw something out there. The amount one layer of tape will change the angle of the bevel is very small. I would think that a hanging strop has 2 things going for it. It is made of a fairly soft material and when stropping the edge of the blade will be serviced because the razor will sink in a little. Another thing is that the amout of deflection from where the strop is hanging and your hand is added to the equation. I like taping razors that will show the honing marks like a satin finished razor but a polished carbon blade doesn't need it in my book. I have no difference only using one layer of tape. More than one is another matter.

Take Care,
Richard