Thread: Question About Honing - Covering The Spine Sides

Taping is honer preference. There is no rule set in stone. If you want your spine taped, you need to say so. Most guys that hone will tape a worked spine, (fancy file work, gold, etc...) without being asked.

If a blade has serious hone wear to begin with, It may have to be taped in order to put an edge on it.

When in doubt, ask....

I Don't Think It Is The Honers Fault. If They Don't Tape Then That Is What You Will Get. That is Unless It IS Someone New To Honing And They Just Destroy The Spine In The Process?

With a micro razor rotation I do have one razor I tape and two razors I do not tape. I am at the maintaining the edge stage of things and I am using a synthetic stone but I second whoever the first was who mentioned feedback. There is more of it without the tape, and somehow tape brings you into the modern world, exactly where you are fleeing from when you are using an ancient (well, very old) tool. So there is an issue of purity which of course is an exaggeration. But for fun you might say tapers are fearful and are both trying to preserve an old tradition while at the same time want to make sure their toys don't get any dirt on them so to speak. As I understand it there are some geometric anomalies where tape is absolutely necessary.
Anyway, I do both but enjoy steel on stone more. I'm about as far from being a honemaster as you can get so you can stick with what the big cats are saying, but if you get a chance, try both.

Darl,
Which one of those is the new Black?

Originally Posted by Tarkus

Heres to all of us tape users of the world.


Attachment 128950

May your rolls never empty!!!

Originally Posted by WW243

Darl,
Which one of those is the new Black?

Boy you are a newbe
Dont you know when you use colored tape you go 5 m.p.h. faster on your honing strokes.
Its like going to the auto store and buying a chrome plated oil dip stick, another 5 m.p.h.
You cant knock science. Har!!!

The analogy was just a joke. But, If I was to hone a razor that's not mine, I would tape it, just in case. Again, you read what you think is really stupid from me, but the point still is : there's no going back from honewear. Precaution.

They lost me when they starting speaking Spanish

I don't get the joke, sorry, I'm missing something cultural I guess. Is it racist ?

Got it. Thanks for the clarification!

And I would add, just for precaution - some might not understand me yet : you can not add matter to a spine.
Sorry if I'm not clear sometimes, it's hard to speak english after all these years.

Well, thing is there will always be hone wear on the bevel. For some reason it is ok there but not on the spine? Anyway, tape or not to tape? I am sure some caveman was sitting in his cave pondering the same issue with his obsidian rock.

I don't know about right or wrong, but it certainly would make good business sense to ask a new client about his preference.
A generic template email introducing the client to the nuances of straight razor honing and maintenance would solve most of these problems.
This will engender trust between the involved parties, and more importantly, ensure repeat customers.
And quite frankly, in modern day e-business paradigm, this will cost next to nothing in terms of time and resource.

For the experienced SR users and honers, it might be easy to just say,
"tough luck another lesson learned,"
taking the route of precaution would certainly result in a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Just my two cents.