Thread: Getting new razor

I have just purchased a dovo tortoise 5/8 second hand and was wondering if the people who hone it at classicshaving put tape on the spine when they hone it?

The razor was bought new from them and only used twice so it should still be shave ready.

I don't believe Lynn taps the spine on DOVOS but I could be wrong about that. PM him and ask.

It may or may not still be shave ready after two shaves, kind of depends on why the former owner got rid of it.

Originally Posted by Dups

I have just purchased a dovo tortoise 5/8 second hand and was wondering if the people who hone it at classicshaving put tape on the spine when they hone it?

The razor was bought new from them and only used twice so it should still be shave ready.

I doubt that your razor was honed with a taped spine. It could very well be shave ready, but it might not be depending on how it was used (even twice). Having said that, the only way to tell is to strop it up and give it a try. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

wouldn't honing without the tape totally destroy the etching on it?

Originally Posted by Dups

wouldn't honing without the tape totally destroy the etching on it?

Not at all. The etching is on the hollow face of the blade. Only the side of the spine and the sharp edge touch the hone.

If he did need to tape the spine for some reason, he'd probably let you know about it for future reference. Honing a non-taped razor that's previously been honed with a taped spine can create a double bevel; in essence you'd be honing the surface between the cutting bevel and the blade wall. Sorry if that doesn't make sense, it's a little difficult to explain. A great reference is this video series that one of the members here was good enough to put on youtube. There's some excellent information here. This link is to the first video in the series of ten.
YouTube - Straight Razor Honing Demonstration Part 1