Thread: Tape the Straight Razor Spine to Hone It?

I wondered the same thing as Tulane man.
(Go Tigers).

Jody

Originally Posted by TulaneBoy

If you tape the spine of the razor, wouldn't you have to tape the edge, too? I don't think you want to hone away steel from the edge and make the blade narrower, without also honing steel away from the spine to make it thinner to match. Am I being a total retard here or something? Cause I was told that the bevel angle is sorta important, and the bevel angle is determined by the ratio between width and thickness, and normal honing decreases both, more or less proportionally, and so reducing the width without reducing the thickness changes the bevel angle over time. Am I overlooking something? Apart from the slowness of the wear of course. I realize that it would be a slow process but what is slow to a tool that can be used daily for over a hundred years? Just sayin. Hey I'm a newbie. And I was taught to not use tape except in certain limited situations like honing a wedge which I haven't done yet.

As far as I know using tape on the spine will make extremely small changes to the angle of the bevel even over a lifetime of use. I am going to guess that the the ideal bevel angle is 17 degrees with a tolerance of plus or minus at least 1 degree. You could do the math but I am again guessing it won't make much of a difference if the spine width to blade size ratio was correct in the first place.

The theory that the spine to blade ratio should wear in together is technically correct. OTH on wedges and near wedges you may have to use multi layers of tape to compensate for the hone wear on the spine in order to get anywhere near the desired ideal bevel angle for a straight.

Bob

Originally Posted by TulaneBoy

If you tape the spine of the razor, wouldn't you have to tape the edge, too? I don't think you want to hone away steel from the edge and make the blade narrower, without also honing steel away from the spine to make it thinner to match. Am I being a total retard here or something? Cause I was told that the bevel angle is sorta important, and the bevel angle is determined by the ratio between width and thickness, and normal honing decreases both, more or less proportionally, and so reducing the width without reducing the thickness changes the bevel angle over time. Am I overlooking something? Apart from the slowness of the wear of course. I realize that it would be a slow process but what is slow to a tool that can be used daily for over a hundred years? Just sayin. Hey I'm a newbie. And I was taught to not use tape except in certain limited situations like honing a wedge which I haven't done yet.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Originally Posted by Hirlau

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I guess it would work if you sharpened the razor first

That distant sound you just heard coming from the northwest was Glen's head exploding.


rs,
Tack

That, ”Don’t tape to wear the spine and edge evenly” only works, maybe if you bevel set your razor every month.

The reality is once you bevel set your razor, you may never set the bevel again as long as you own it, unless you damage/chip it. In really it does not matter. Why not tape it then?

And RED tape is the best.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

That, ”Don’t tape to wear the spine and edge evenly” only works, maybe if you bevel set your razor every month.

The reality is once you bevel set your razor, you may never set the bevel again as long as you own it, unless you damage/chip it. In really it does not matter. Why not tape it then?

And RED tape is the best.

Well, if it doesn't matter, why tape it, then? But if you got to tape, I think basic black would be best. It goes with anything.

Originally Posted by TulaneBoy

I think basic black would be best. It goes with anything.

That is so last week

Originally Posted by TulaneBoy

Well, if it doesn't matter, why tape it, then?

Look on e-bay, at that mis-honed crap, or look at the spines that we have to correct from newb heavy handed honers, and realize that Honing with tape has not ruined a razor, yet

Once you take steel off it is pretty hard to put it back on there tape on the other hand is cheap and easy to replace...


A good honer is doesn't matter tape, no tape...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Look on e-bay, at that mis-honed crap, or look at the spines that we have to correct from newb heavy handed honers, and realize that Honing with tape has not ruined a razor, yet

Once you take steel off it is pretty hard to put it back on there tape on the other hand is cheap and easy to replace...


A good honer is doesn't matter tape, no tape...

Hmmmm. I hone heavy handed. Usually correcting a bunch of previous crap.