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As the title states, I'm curious about the development of the practice of taping the spine (not that I am necessarily advocating it). When did it start, and what was used at the time? Does it coincide with the invention of electrical tape, or was it used with old wedges "back in the day" with other mediums than electrical tape? Or is it an Internet forum innovation? Etc., etc.
my opinion only, but with the resurgence of this hobby and the razors being so old that they had spine wear it was a great solution to getting the bevel back and and this is a big and, guys getting into doing this for pay that didn't want to cause any hone wear or scratch up the nice restoration work they just did and the new razors that came out with nice spine work. it is a good practice if the razor is not yours, plus metal taken off is metal gone for good. I personally would not want my thousand dollar razor scratched up coming back from the hone guy, and neither would he.
back in the day a razor got honed down too much I,m sure they just got another, they were cheap, plus most only owned 1-2 . plus I don't know the old sharpening guy with the wagon may have have some sort of protection for really worn out blades. but in my first paragraph I think is the best explanation there is, plus we are in an advanced time from those guys so normally we would progress to a better way. Tc
One of the historians posted once about references in an old manual to using something to protect the spine. In any event I would just like to keep my razors sharp and looking newish as far as blade shape goes. I am fairl certain that a well experienced person at honing does not cause that much hone wear, mostly a few marks. However I have seen some razors posted by new guys that have destroyed the geometry of new razors with excessive hone wear. I think new people , for the sake of their razors, should use tape. Once you have a handle on honing you should be able to concentrate the cutting action of the hone entirely on the bevel and not create wear. There are some that only use tape for the bevel set. It really is a personal choice.
Good question. I guess electrical tape must date to the early 20th century ? AFAIK, other than barber manuals, there wasn't a lot of honing information disseminated before the internet.
Other than info found in the few barber manuals I imagine honing straight razors was an art handed down from one individual to another.
Whoever came up with the idea of taping the spine had a good idea IMHO.
EDIT; My friend google said electrical tape was invented by 3M in 1946
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_tape
Thank you for your comments. From them, I'm thinking that taping is a more recent innovation. That makes me wonder about wedges though. Also, a frameback with removable blades is sort of a metal analogy to taping.
I always suspected that it was popularized by commercial honers to speed things up and also not scratch their customer's blades.
I think it is driven more by hobbyists and collectors. And I understand that.
For an everyday tool as the spine gets thinner so does the blade width.....
I have never seen taping being recommended in barbers' manuals so I guess it is a pretty modern invention of hobbyists who want to try many blades and sell them on looking near mint after having tried them for a short while. It does facilitate honing of wedge style razors.
Wedge blades are especially susceptible to spine or blade surface wear when honing. If taping or another system is to be dismissed prior to the Internet and the 1940s invention of electrical tape, perhaps they were honed raising the spine if they have come down to us in decent shape, provided that they were actually used?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kees
That's my take. Several of my old wedges had bevels that were uneven side to side which might indicate knife-like honing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brontosaurus
Yea, I suspect in the past if they cared about the spine they raised it off the hone ever so slightly. Just enough to avoid contact. The vintage blades that I've come across with little or no hone wear on the spine all had higher angle bevels than what I made with tape or simply honing them with the spine on the stone.
Years ago this question came up and some folks thought there may have been a metal sleeve used to slide over the spine to do the equivalent of taping. Whether there has ever been anything written/published to that effect I don't know.
I dare tot differ.
Perret in 1770 recommended honing with spine on the hone not off the hone. In those days hollow grinding had not yet been invented. If you look at the old wedges some of 'em have more honewear on the spine than on the bevel. Perret describes a wooden sleeve to cover the spine and most of the blade as a blade guard, not to make honing easier.
He describes the practice of regrinding as soon as the bevel and spine wear would interfere with honing.
Let's credit Lynn with spine taping.
IIRC Mastro Livi did once make one for one of our members to protect the spine of one of his expensive razors.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Yeah the thoughts on this go back a few years :) this thread is 9 years old
http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...honed-day.html
I remember Josh Earl doing some hardness tests using the older Sheffield razors that found the spines were softer than the blades so that also could have an effect of the excessive spine wear we see..
It has been a topic of conversation and conjecture for quite a long time :)
Since someone mentioned Perret, I thought this link might be useful too
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ds-1771-a.html
The wooden sleeve was for shaving, not honing, apparently. But I would not be surprised if someone used it for honing.
I too have picked up very old (1850's) wedge blades that appear as if whoever honed them held the spine off the stone. Bevels were not very even side to side, but it appeared to have a good enough edge to shave.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brontosaurus
I first heard of honing with tape around the year 2000.
I was taught to hone with the spine off of the hone by a fingernail height.
Using tape is a lot easier!!!
So whoever came up with the idea, my wrists say THANK YOU!
There are guys around that can hone a razor without putting on hone wear, leaving marks, or use tape. I am not there yet. Tape is a great solution for those of us that have not made it there yet.