Thread: Taped honing geometry question

I have a Hart Steel razor which was originally honed with one layer of electrical tape on the spine. When I honed the razor I taped it first. This got me thinking about two issues:

1) It seems to me that each time you hone a razor with tape you are slightly changing the geometry. Since the spine remains the same, the width of the bevel will become slightly narrower with each honing, and the angle of the honed edge will increase. How do you deal with this after multiple honings? Do you remove the tape and re-set the bevel?

2) This also raised the question: on a razor that has been honed with tape, do you leave it taped when polishing on a chromium oxide or diamond paddle, or do you remove the tape first?

I would think that it really does not matter about the tape on the spine as it makes very little difference to the blade geometry and not a huge amount of steel is normally lost in the initial honing and subsequent touch ups.

Bob

There are some real numbers in this thread, but you have to sift through the usual Tape vs No Tape chaff

http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...-theories.html

Bottom line: Yeah it doesn't make much difference, keeping in mind that there is a slight difference between Taping to save the spine (1 layer) and taping to correct hone worn geometry (multiple layers)

Thanks gssixgun. You seem to be the Yoda of tape knowledge. When you polish a taped razor on a Chromium oxide paddle do you leave the tape on or take it off first?

You do not use tape with a Chrome Oxide strop, there is enough flex in the strop, that it will reach the edge. Stropping with tape can leave residue on your strop, though I have done so a few laps while honing with no negative results on the strop.

Once your razor has been bevel set, you may never have to re-set the bevel again, unless the edge is damaged. It can be revived on a pasted strop or touched up on a finish or high grit stone without a full bevel set, reducing the amount of metal removed and maintaining the blade width.

Linen, leather and a pasted strop can keep a razor shaving very well, indefinitely. The trick is learning to strop, properly.

Originally Posted by shavindave

Thanks gssixgun. You seem to be the Yoda of tape knowledge. When you polish a taped razor on a Chromium oxide paddle do you leave the tape on or take it off first?

Oh I don't know about Yoda, but yes I use tape...

I take the tape off when I am done honing, I might think twice if I were using a Balsa strop, but I don't, so I won't

I call minutia.

interesting, I leave the tape on after honing and then on Chromium oxide.
At some point in time I read on here a few years ago that you should leave the tape on going from hone to Chromium oxide. And re-apply for touch-ups (I never do anyway) So is it irrelevant?

nuff said.