Thread: Which honing tape?

I have been using super 88 for several years and it’s pretty good tape, I put it on once and take it off after finish, I found with the cheapie stuff I was changing 2-3 times during a hone session.

Off brand kapton from ebay works well and at less than four dollars for two rolls delivered, you can't go wrong. It takes about 10 days for delivery in my case.

Kapton tape is like Crescent wrench, or Kleenex tissue. It's a brand name, not the actual object name. Polyimide tape is what you ought to be searching for, and it really isn't expensive. Also works very well. I have a whole bunch from electronics work, but I use it for honing sometimes too.

Originally Posted by petercp4e

I have been using the 89¢ electrical tape from Walmart for years.
It works very well and I've never had a problem with it.

Pete <:-}

I've had the same experience. When I started honing I used some cheap tape first and then switched to 3m and thought it lasted much better. Since then I've gone back to cheap tape with no issues. Turns out that the 3m was lasting longer because my technique had improved.

Originally Posted by PaulKidd

I just bought a roll of Scotch 700 (7mil) electrical tape for taping the spine.
I've used this brand before with no problems, but this time the adhesive
seemed to melt and run when used with honing oil or Smith's solution.

Is there a better choice of tape, or did I just get a bad batch?

I use the 700 as well and did get a roll that was very sticky(almost slimy) and left a black residue on the razor. It does start to get that way when it gets old.

Originally Posted by tintin

I use the 700 as well and did get a roll that was very sticky(almost slimy) and left a black residue on the razor. It does start to get that way when it gets old.

That's exactly what happened, and that could very well be the answer: old tape.
I didn't buy the tape at a high-volume outlet, like Home Depot. I got it from a
mom and pop variety store, which probably doesn't have a huge turn-over in
electrical tape.

It’s not the cost of the tape, if the tape has been in a hot environment, hot garage or shop, the glue starts to break down. Same tape, new, wrapped and left in a drawer or toolbox is unaffected.

I have used all kinds and brands of tape, even Harbor Freight “Cheap Tape” without issue. Except if I have left it out during a heat wave or in a car. You will see the glue ooze from the sides. Sometimes you can peel off a few turns and get to good tape, but I buy tape for $1 a roll from Habitat for Humanity so if it goes bad I grab a new roll. A squirt of WD40 on a paper towel gets the glue off a blade.

I have been using the Ebay Kapton, unless I need the thickness I use electrical. I don’t recall the price, but not expensive, it is super thin and tough.

BTW, if you use Kapton tape do yourself a favor and buy a table top tape dispenser.

Kapton is so thin it will easily fold on itself when pulled off a roll. And it can be difficult to find the end and get it started to unroll, it will make you crazy. A cheap dispenser solves all that.

I got mine at a thrift store for a few dollars. It is a 2 in wide packing tape dispenser with 2 rollers, I keep 1/2 in and ¾ inch or the millimeter equivalent on it. The tape is sold in millimeter widths. ¾ works better for razors, but you can use ½ inch.

I use ½ for honing EDC knives on an Edge Pro to protect the blade from scratches, it is easy to trim to shape with a knife.

I'm not a fan of tape dispensers unless you use the tape very frequently. They leave quite a length of tape adhesive exposed to the air. For the polyimide or "Kapton" tapes, I just fold over a little bit of the tape on itself so the two adhesive sides stick together after I'm finished using the tape to provide a little "handle" for next time. Plus I have probably 30+ rolls of tape, don't want a bunch of dispensers all over the place.

Honestly it doesn't matter as long as it's good quality electrical tape.