Thread: To tape or not to tape

There is some personal presonal preference of when to tape. I don't like to tape unless there is a lot of work to be done such as honing chips etc or if there is spine wear. In my mind it affects the geometry.
Is there another reason?
I was reading a post concerning removing a frown and reestablishing a smile. An hone meister said definitely use tape. I assume that's due to the amount of metal that needed to ve removed would damage the spine. Once that is done then remove the tape and then go through your normal progression?

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When people are first learning to hone razors, too much pressure is often put onto the spine, causing undue wear. Also when blade corrections are being made and chips removed. Once you have your technique dialed in and you are able to hone on the edge and not the spine it is a different story. In the beginning it is about saving razors from damage, as your skills progress it is about personal preference. Some actually set bevels with tape and then progress without, in order to get the best of both worlds. Most people do more refreshing of an edge than full on bevel set and full progression.

Originally Posted by Clayglen

There is some personal presonal preference of when to tape. I don't like to tape unless there is a lot of work to be done such as honing chips etc or if there is spine wear. In my mind it affects the geometry.
Is there another reason?
I was reading a post concerning removing a frown and reestablishing a smile. An hone meister said definitely use tape. I assume that's due to the amount of metal that needed to ve removed would damage the spine. Once that is done then remove the tape and then go through your normal progression?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

If you use the search box at the top right and put in tape, you will see the endless threads on that subject. The pros and cons are endless and the use of a single layer of tape has minimal effect on geometry. Tape does prevent excessive hone to the spine especially when some heavy bevel setting is to be done.

If you use tape to bevel set and then remove it, when you go back to the hone you will have a bit of a facetted bevel that should disappear in a few strokes. Alternately you could just carryon using a fresh tape at each new stage of the honing. It really is a personal preference thing.

Bob

Originally Posted by Clayglen

There is some personal presonal preference of when to tape. I don't like to tape unless there is a lot of work to be done such as honing chips etc or if there is spine wear. In my mind it affects the geometry.
Is there another reason?
I was reading a post concerning removing a frown and reestablishing a smile. An hone meister said definitely use tape. I assume that's due to the amount of metal that needed to ve removed would damage the spine. Once that is done then remove the tape and then go through your normal progression?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

This is a long running controversy and if you were to do a search on tape using thread titles as the criteria you'd find pages and pages of opinions. You can take metal off, but you cannot put it back on. An experienced honer can remove a minimum, not necessarily so for an inexperienced honer.

My first year, honing many ebay & antique store razors, I always used tape, as had been recommended by more experienced members. The fact that the premier honemiiester, Lynn Abrams, didn't use tape made me want to begin honing without tape.

So I took a NOS Wilhelm Mandt 5/8 and measured the spine with a micrometer. I honed the thing to shave ready and measured it again. Virtually no difference. So I began honing most razors without tape. I say most. Unless you keep a detailed record you'll not remember which were honed with tape, and which were not.

So when you come back to touch up, or to simply improve an edge, you'll be scratching your head wondering if you had taped the spine or not. On another occasion I scored a close to NOS W&B 'Bow' razor in 6/8. This was beauty but it needed a bevel set and sharpening/finishing.

I should have taped it but didn't. The end result wasn't terrible, but there was visible spine wear from the honing and I was kicking myself for not using tape. That occasion and the aforementioned conundrum of not remembering what was taped, and what was not, led me to tape all razors all the time. A PITA, but the only way I could see to solve the problems.

My thinking is that many, if not most, razors are not perfectly parallel spine to edge. Therefore if a razor is being honed without tape the spine and edge are being corrected and symmetrical as metal is removed. If tape is used all of the correction ends up being in the edge, but it is corrected nevertheless.

I don't know mathematically what the difference in degree is between an edge honed with tape, or without, is, but I think it is negligible. I have also used tape to set a bevel, do substantial correction if necessary, and then removed the tape as I proceeded to sharpen and finish. This is one way to do it, but for all of the reasons stated above I simply use tape all of the time now. YMMV.

My biggest complaint with tape is was it taped before or not and residue. When I used tape before it was messy. Maybe it was old tape or poor quality. I also like to be as old school as possible.
I can see if one had a rare expensive mint razor, then I'd definitely tape as well. My $30 Ebay finds... meh. Most have some spine wear anyway.

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"larga vida a la cinta"

Originally Posted by Clayglen

My biggest complaint with tape is was it taped before or not and residue. When I used tape before it was messy. Maybe it was old tape or poor quality. I also like to be as old school as possible.
I can see if one had a rare expensive mint razor, then I'd definitely tape as well. My $30 Ebay finds... meh. Most have some spine wear anyway.

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For residue I use lighter fluid. As for razors with spine wear, shortly after I began this sport I stopped buying such razors.

Originally Posted by Clayglen

My biggest complaint with tape is was it taped before or not and residue. When I used tape before it was messy. Maybe it was old tape or poor quality. I also like to be as old school as possible.
I can see if one had a rare expensive mint razor, then I'd definitely tape as well. My $30 Ebay finds... meh. Most have some spine wear anyway.

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You use the same strip of tape that was used on the spine, to remove the residue. Fast & easy.

I don't buy the old school statement, you and I and just about everyone else ain't doing it old school, our hones are the proof of that, not to mention we have an Internet which you are on and have bought razors on. A good percentage waited till the sharpening wagon came around to hone. Most could keep it going with a strop, we all have surpassed the old ways into the new way, but tape or no tape, it's up to you, it really isn't going to change the geometry, personally I don't care to take any excess metal from my customs and my vintage I don't want to lose anymore than they already have. But that's my razors, you may well like no tape but it doesn't matter, unless your dealing with a wonky wedge that needs several layers, then tapes a good idea again.

Interest subject and after reading thread after thread about it, I have decided that I don't really care, when the razor spine wears out, I'll buy a new one.

I'm fixing to embark on my own honing voyage and the less stuff I have to worry about the better. I think sometimes we just overthink too much.

When I have to worry about too many variables, then it becomes a task, and I don't see shaving as a task, as a retired young man, a see it as a pleasurable part of my daily lifestyle.