Quote Originally Posted by gssixgun View Post
I am only going to tell you what I have found to be true in practice not therory....
I tape every single spine, on every razor I hone, for myself, and for everyone else (unless they specifically ask me not to)

The change in angle is to small to bother with even figuring out (somebody actually did the math in one thread and it is less the 1/2 a degree)

When I finish up on the hones, if that razor is going to go to a paddle strop I leave the tape on though that process...
I have actually taken the tape off before the paddle strop and have found no difference, there is enough give in the leather that it doesn't really matter...
If I were one to use a balsa pasted strop, I would leave the tape on there for that process...
I take the tape off for all hanging strops....

As to more than one layer of tape my only response would be Why???? I use that process to repair bevels then drop to one layer for proper honing...
Imo, that's a complete and accurate answer.
On a hanging strop it makes no difference whatsoever. There's always some slack, even if we aim for reasonable tautness. The variations caused by the human that pulls at the strop and strokes the razor on top, are much bigger than the small angle change of one or two layers of tape.
On a paddle strop, there's still enough give in the leather, for the strop to touch the very edge.
I normally hone without tape, but on a decorated spine, I do use a layer of tape. I also have a double bevel on some of my razors (mostly for the sake of testing hones). I have never noticed any adverse effect of stropping such razors without the tape.

On a piece of pasted Balsa or newspaper on a tabletop, I'd keep the tape (but I'm not using either).

Bart.