7/8 Henckles ? I am guessing you are going to love that :) High quality german blades are, according to my experience insofar, wonderful things :) 7/8 is indeed an impressive size at first, but you will quickly learn that it may be quite comfortable :)
If you are not confident in your skills yet, double taping is a cautious decision. That way at least you will see if you go to hard on the low grit stones.
In time, one can learn on how to hone a hollow ground without tape (takes time and patience to learn exactly how many strokes you need on the most abrasive stones)