Thread: Thickness of tape if used?

Hi SRPers

Thanks to everyone who has contributed recently to my requests for advice on hone preperation. I have invested in a naniwa 12K speciality stone and following your advice decided to go with a DMT 325 for the prep work. I am pleased to say all seems to have gone well up to this point and my 12K is lapped and appears to have a much better and flatter surface to work from now. Just need to put some time aside to get round to some refreshing. My question is, if when deciding to tape the spine of a razor prior to honing does the thickness of tape ever come into question? I use electrical insulation tape as part of my job and over the years have seen various grades of this tape. I decided to look into some tape specifications and it appears they do come in various thicknesses. I would think that the thinner it is then the more appropriate it would be for razor honing application. Some of my razors have shaped spines or gold etching that I would like to preserve for as long as is sensibly possible. I understand the effect taping has on the angle at the cutting edge. Does anyone have any thoughts on this and what works best for you if taping your razors. Thanks.

I like the 3M variety that is available at Lowe's.
I prefer the yellow over the black because I can see the yellow on the hone and can better judge when to put new tape on. If it is worn too far the sticky part will be exposed to the hone.
When I used black I could not tell if it was swarf from the blade or from tape wear.
The label claims the tape to be .007" thick.
It seems to wear fairly well too.

I prefer the 3m also but at the end of the day any quality electrical tape will work just don't apply to much preassure to the spine & change regularly as it wears out
And replace it for the finishing hone at least

Does not matter as long as you use the same roll of tape and it is new tape. A roll that’s been in your tool bag or box for years will get gummy and breakdown and cause all kinds of problems. It can vary a bit, from roll to roll but not enough to worry about.

I too like the colored tape, I buy it from Habitat for Humanity I think for a buck a roll. I go through a lot of it and change tape often.

Don’t over think, it’s just tape…

I prefer to use a thicker tape while bevel setting, then switch to normal thickness for the end of the bevel set and for the rest of the progression. If I desire a hint of a microbevel, I do my final finish with the thicker tape.

I also color code my use of tape in three main categories--bevel setting, sharpening, and polishing. That way if my honing is interrupted, as it often is, I know approximately where I was at with each razor.

I just use black electrical tape

Originally Posted by Utopian

I prefer to use a thicker tape while bevel setting, then switch to normal thickness for the end of the bevel set and for the rest of the progression. If I desire a hint of a microbevel, I do my final finish with the thicker tape.

I also color code my use of tape in three main categories--bevel setting, sharpening, and polishing. That way if my honing is interrupted, as it often is, I know approximately where I was at with each razor.

Can you further explain your color code method.

It's nothing elaborate. During bevel setting I use a thick black tape because I expect greater wear. That tape is 0.0085" thick. I finish the bevel set with tape that is 0.007" thick to set the correct bevel angle. That tape used to be brown but now it's green simply because the last time I stocked up the store had more rolls of green than brown. From the final rounds on the 1k hone through an 8k hone, I use that green tape. Anything above 8k is taped with red tape that also is 0.007" thick. If I want to do a bit of a micro bevel, I will put the thick black tape back on and do up to 10 strokes on the final finishing hone.

Obviously the tape colors are irrelevant, I simply use them to keep track of where I am in the honing process. This tends to be more necessary with more razors, more distractions, and more age.

I was interested in the size difference and what used for and when. Thank you.

Well, I have found the harbor freight tape to be the best and it does not leave a bunch of sticky crap glue on your razor like SCOTCH brand does.