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.

Originally Posted by Vasilis

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

I just started using a paddle strop... So I'll have to take my blades now every time before I shave?

No, not really.

The difference is so slight, if the bevel is flat, a new bevel can be cut in just a few laps, depending on the bevel and the stone.

I hone everything with tape, unless specifically asked not to. Which has only been asked a hand full of times in years.

If you hone the same way, all the time with or without tape, it’s not an issue. I reset the bevels on all razors I get in.

Here's a nice video on the subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMchDtXzUO4

Originally Posted by strangedata

I just started using a paddle strop... So I'll have to take my blades now every time before I shave?

No.

A leather or linen strop will flex enough to strop the whole bevel.

As an example, a razor honed on a glass plate with a piece of film, over a wet piece of copy paper, (a common finishing technique) will flex enough to hone the leading 1/3 edge of a bevel, (from the edge back).

So, a piece of leather or linen will flex much more. You can strop with or without tape, does not matter.

I often strop a taped razor, for just a few laps when honing, because I am too lazy to remove it, but there is no need to tape a razor to strop it.