Glens math seems right to me – a 20% change in angle and an approximately 25% change in width (5/8’s to 4/8’s) coincide. Moreover, if my math is right, using Glen’s numbers, if you were to hone a mere 13% of the time with no tape you would have a perfect angle at all times.

It’s fascinating really! Better yet the more I read, the more I start to think that science is a bad measure when it comes to the voodoo that is honing. If for no other reason than it’s individuals at work here, and not every individual hones the same way.

Take for example the above information and think to all those razors we have all seen on eBay with worn down spines. By rights, many of them should have begun life as 11/8’s LOL!! As a matter a fact, after pondering Glen’s numbers I am starting to think that the vast majority (myself included) may be taking way too much off the spine when honing with no tape which could actually be worse - as others have stated.

As a guy who bought into the whole don’t tape camp, and just being asked by a friend how I like it, I had to admit that i missed only getting feedback from the edge when honing. Once you get used to the “slide” of the tape it’s quite easy to feel what the edge is saying vs. both edge and spine.

Thanks for the info Glen! More food for thought lol... sigh : )