Thread: Double bevel by only adding one layer of tape (instead of two)

I've maintained the double bevel on my TZ. Mostly because it's the only razor that I have a double bevel on, and since it came that way, I just maintain it. I've used three layers of tape each time touching it up. I'm sure the razor would shave just as good with a single bevel.

No one has hit on the very very very very good reason of using a single layer of tape to set the initial bevel so as to.... protect the damascus pattern? IIRC that is the real reason. It doesn't matter if TZ honed his initial bevel with 1 layer of tape or not. He would simply compensate for it by changing the angle to whatever he wanted by adding steel and achieve the same effect. The tape is there to make sure the etch remains etched and is not ruined through hone wear.

As for the second bevel...thats a different question. I can understand the benefits in theory. However, in practice I'm not sure there would be a difference other than ease of final polish honing.

Originally Posted by pjrage

IIRC, Bart was advocating using a double bevel with one layer of tape with his "one coticule honing" idea. He claimed that over all the tests he'd done sharpening razors on his coticules, his sharpest and best edges were achieved when he used one layer of tape to create a secondary bevel.

Yep.

I gotta say, I started doing this as Bart suggested, but I found that it wasn't always nessercery. To begin with I was following the steps to the letter, I pretty quickly found out that it didn't really matter, once you have the basic idea down of honing, you can pretty much do what you want with it. It was very useful for me to begin with though.

Now I don't tape as a matter of course.

My advice is 'suck it and see'

I've been honing with one layer and then adding another to finish

the difference is that it takes 75% less time to finish the edge
I look at most razors I do under the scope once or twice during the finishing process because I have been experimenting with tape for finishing.

I've also gone from no tape to 2 layers on some blades
it works
is it better?
meh

only on real problem edges