Of course tape wasn't about back then but there are so many wedge blades out there with relatively little hone wear that I can only conclude they were honed freehand with the spine off the stone. Razors were ground on wheels about a foot in diameter or more. Straight of the grindstone, if the bevel had been set with the spine touching the stone razors would have left the factory with wide, unsightly bevels. The spine becoming the angle setter for the bevel in my opinion only came about with the advent of hollow grinding. Someone chime in if I'm wrong though.