Tape or no tape really doesn't matter much in my book. In 100 years, you might notice that the edge has worn a lot and the spine hasn't, changing the angles a bit. But I suspect most of us have more than one razor, so it's unlikely we will hone enough to really make much difference in our lifetimes.

My only gripe against taping is that you will probably need to retape the spine each time you touch the razor up. I like the convenience of being able to just grab a hone and do a few strokes, so I usually don't tape.

Just remember: If you hone it initially with tape, always use tape for touchups.

Josh