Thread: taped spine or not

I curious to know if any of our experienced honers can tell me if there is a way to tell looking at an edge if it has been honed using tape or not. Don't say why not ask the person you are buying it from. All to often when buying on line the seller has no idea what your talking about if you asked. I thought that maybe the bevel would be narrower because the angle is more pronounced then without it. I can tell after I start to hone it looking at the edge but it would help to know before I start honing.

Sharpie the bevel then make one light pass across a stone. If it has been honed with tape you'll see that the hone isn't hitting the apex of the bevel(s).

Just by looking at it, I don't think so.

Cheers, Steve

Short answer; really difficult/no in most cases.

If the razor is new, with an untouched rounded spine and the edge is beautifully sharp, then tape was used. Or if there is a difference between the polishing degree of the spine and the edge, although not a reliable method.
The "hollower" the grind of the razor, the harder it is to see if tape was used; on a wedge razor you can see it if you try. There are also the secondary bevels, where you see an angle forming on the edge, and a millimeter or less behind it, although it disappears soon. That's also a sign that tape was used.
I use tape almost always, the razor keeps its mint-like appearance and lasts longer since less steel is removed (not that it won't outlive if you are a bit careful with it). I also think that, a lot of new users have a problem with rehoning (or stropping a razor on a paddle strop, that's kind of serious) a razor, honed by the previous owner using tape, so for my case I always mention it, either on my ad or on mails and ask if he wants me to return it back to how it was without tape.
As for the "the angle has a meaning", that's a lie; I've shaved with a close to 90 degree edge. You can do some crazy stuff with a 90 degree edge, just don't let your guard down.

Good info above. I have noticed that some razors come brand new from the factory with some scratches on the honing flat on the spine. So it is hard to tell unless the razor has been honed to the point where it is obvious through an eye loupe.

I don't particularly worry about it. The razor either looks in good enough condition or it doesn't, in which case I won't buy it. One way or the other, when I hone it I will use tape, and if necessary reset the bevel. Wish they could talk, what tales they could tell.

If it is time for a touch up it is not going to make much difference at all how it was honed. If it was honed without tape and you touch it up with tape, you will create a minuscule secondary or micro bevel. Some guys do that on purpose as part of their honing routine. If it was honed with tape and you tape it, it will be right there, the third possibility is it was honed with tape and you hone without you will erase all of that tiny little bit of shoulder and get down to the edge in no time, and that is the only effect you will get. I do sense though that you may be new to honing, in which case you really should be taping the spine. People that are new to honing tend to be heavier on the spine than those who have honed for a while.

Talking about tapes, I would like to confirm something; isn't it reasonable to assume that all tapes we use for honing don't have the same thickness? Let alone finishing with more than one layer, something that would be an overkill for pretty much any razor. So... using a tape for touch-up a razor, we aren't sure if the tape we will be using has the same thickness with the one used by the previous owner/person that honed it.
In that case, again, we either check for sharpie color, or reflection of the edge.

Sharpie test on a finishing stone without tape. If you hit the edge it was not honed with tape. If you don't hit the edge, ad a layer of tape and try again. It's that simple. Looking at the side of the spine is not a very reliable method.

electrical tape is in two common thicknesses of 0.007" and 0.0085", there is a less common electrical tape that is 0.010". If you are not buying tape that is labeled as electrical tape it could be as thin as 0.005". It is pretty small increments and that much steel comes off on a hone pretty quickly. So when you create a micro bevel it really is a tiny change in the thickness of the spine.

Stretching of the tape can be an issue. I had a blade honed with 2layers as described, but that was between 2 and 3 layers for how I tape. Your best bet is to do one layer or not, with sharpie, and check with a loupe. Then go from there.

I always buy 3M Scotch Super 33 +. Comes in a plastic container for storing, keeps dust and grit off of it. I keep a single edge Gem blade in the container to cut the tape the length I need. Can't beat it. Always 7ml thickness, and it is high quality stuff.