Quote Originally Posted by Corgi View Post
1 - Do I use the barber's hone when I feel that the razor(s) start pulling, or do I use it by number of shaves, regardless of how the razor feels on the face?

2 - Is the barber's hone ever used with tape?

3 - How much of a problem is it that I don't know whether tape was used to professionally hone them, and what should I do about it?

Thanks for your help,

Tom
1. Use it as soon as you notice ANY diminishment in the quality of the shave.

2. A barber's hone is no more or less affected by tape than any other hone. There there is no problem with using tape on a barber's hone.

3. There is no problem here. If you don't want to use tape, then hone without tape and see what happens. If you get no improvement on the edge, then try it again without tape. If you again get no improvement, then try taping and see if that helps.

In case this is a mystery, there is geometry involved here. If the blade was honed with tape and then you try to hone without tape, the spine is effectively lowered and the the very edge of the blade may not touch the hone. Taping raises the spine and lowers the edge to allow it to make contact with the hone.