Thread: Taping

There are many folks at SRP who hone a great deal. This may be because they hone for others who may not have their own hones or are on the way to learning how to do it and wish to find out what a real good shave ready edge is like. Others do a lot of restoration work on “wonky” straights that need tape to overcome the distortion of a tang or spine or to make a damaged razor shaveable. And, yes, there are some of us who are compulsive and obsessive honers, because we enjoy the process and the result.

There are also SRP members who have maintained a razor for a very long time using only a single finishing hone, a barber’s hone, strop and/or maybe some paste.

Some of us use tape all the time, because, well why not? - it does no harm. Some of us use tape only when required. And, some of us don’t use tape. Each to his/her own.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

There is no good reason, not to tape.

If you have a razor with good geometry and bevel angle and you have the skill to maintain it that way, that is enough reason not to tape surely. The only 'good' reason to tape a razor in ideal condition is simply aesthetics.

If you have razors which are beautifully etched or of historic or sentimental value why use them at all, as even if you tape the spine, you're still wearing away the blade and some day, many, many years hence, your razor will be of no use anyway and aesthetics will be a moot point.

Your point about the razor on the ark alludes to the opposite of the claim 'there's no reason not to tape'. You mentioned this razor in another thread some time ago and I remember you replying that after all that time there wasn't really any significant extra hone wear. So if you can get by keeping a razor in good shaving condition, on a fine stone, experiencing minimal wear to the spine, why tape?

Aesthetics may be a reason to tape but is it a 'good' reason considering all factors? Maybe for those who are constantly bevel setting, trying new progressions, etc. but then that begs the question of why would you use a razor you want to have longevity for such a task?

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

You make some good points and I don't disagree with most of what you say except that there are a lot of examples out there that show that hone wear is a real issue to be concerned with and not recent.
Here is just one example I can show.
Attachment 331764

Not trying to be argumentative. In the scenario you describe you're absolutely right but would argue that it was not always the case. My guess is this one was probably owned by a barber who used it every day and wore it slap out.

Hone wear is an issue if you end up getting uneven wear across the blade such that it inhibits function, it isn't a problem in itself. If a new razor has a good bevel angle, even width from spine to edge, and over the decades, centuries even, it is honed with skill and care, and the spine wears down evenly, and that angle is maintained along with an even blade width, the razor is doing exactly what it was meant to do. This is true regardless of the amount of honing.

Yes, one day it will be useless for shaving, useless for passing on, such is life.

I remember seeing a photo of a load of old Japanese Yanagiba knives which had been used so much they were pretty much icepicks. Jolly good I say, the men who used those knives got a lot of useful work done. When they retired those blades, they or their apprentices picked up new knives and the cycle started all over again.

It seems like people want to simultaneously get real use from a tool and freeze that tool in time. You can't do both.

I get that some people are very particular as to how things look. We see it everywhere. But such a concern is secondary to the primary function of any object that isn't explicitly made as an aesthetic object.

BTW I didn't find the reply argumentative at all, vigorous conversation is how we all learn. The more the better.

What good is a razor if you don't use it. That's like having a car you never drive. At least that's how I feel. The reason I have them is to shave with them. I, by the way, try to maintain mine by stropping and not take them repeatedly to the hones for the reasons mentioned.

Originally Posted by TristanLudlow

Every stone will cause spine wear.
Do you need tape? No
Can you use tape? Yes
Will a Coti cause spine wear? Yes

What the Dilucut does it pretty interesting though.
You hone without tape, set the bevel, so the original bevel angle that the razor was made with remains the same. Add a layer of tape to create the secondary micro bevel. Once that doesn't cut it anymore, you remove tape, re-create the primary bevel which remains the same angle as original; then you can re-add tape for the secondary bevel and skip a big part in the refining of the edge.

Some people seem allergic to wanting to change the original bevel angle of the edge that was put on the razor in the factory and don't like adding tape. There are upper and lower limits that do matter to make the razor shave well. It can be calculated.
Some won't hone without it.

I don't really care much, you do you, as long as the angles are within proper shaving angles, all is well. Tape or no tape.

I think maybe you mean UNICOT? Dilucot is all about honing while progressively diluting the slurry. Unicot uses tape to create a compound bevel, at least if www.cotucule.be can be trusted.

I think the first razor I ever honed (poorly, of course! No mentor, no internet, trial and error, took a while for things to start coming together) a razor was about 35, maybe 37 years ago. I never imagined honing with tape until the internet. And then it didn't take long to be convinced that it makes honing wedges a LOT easier. Hollowgrounds? Not me. Unless the spine is already too thin. I don't care what my spines look like any more than I would care what the faces of my hammers look like or what the tread of my tires looks like. If I took in outside honing on a regular basis then tape would be an optional part of my arsenal, but I don't so it's not. I certainly have never ruined a razor by honing it without tape. Anyway, YMMV. I use it when it is needed. Some guys use it unless there is what they feel is a good reason not to. Some use it automatically. I just wonder what they would do back before electrical tape was invented in 1946? Anyway, hone on, everybody!

I always use tape for two reasons, firstly I don't want any hone ware on my spine full stop, but the other reason may not be that common, I really do not like the sound the un-taped spine makes on the stone, you will be surprised how much feedback you can detect off the edge once you cancel out the noise from the un-taped spine.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

I always use tape for two reasons, firstly I don't want any hone ware on my spine full stop, but the other reason may not be that common, I really do not like the sound the un-taped spine makes on the stone, you will be surprised how much feedback you can detect off the edge once you cancel out the noise from the un-taped spine.

Less wear on the hones too hehehe

I think I got this from Bluesman : "You would have to remove 1/16ths of the edge to alter the bevel angle by one degree"
It is also quite nice to have a softer layer between the Stone & Steel ..

I can't believe I just read another tape or no tape thread.

Bob