Thread: Bevel setting on a previously sharp razor you didn't hone?

I'm curious what you guys do with regard to taping the spine when you receive a shave ready razor that meets your standards initially (so you don't touch it up), but after months of use, it needs a touchup. Do you always make sure to ask the person who honed the razor when you buy it if the spine was taped (and how many layers, etc?) Do you just choose your preferred method (taped or not) and set the bevel again?

And going a little further, how about amongst your own collection, when you get to have dozens of razors, do you really remember which you taped and which you didn't? Do you keep a logbook? Or do you treat everyone fresh everytime and check / set the bevel every touchup?

I'm asking because I'm getting into honing quite a few razors (from ebay) and on the nicer, minimal hone wear razors, I'm taping the spine, and on the ones with some wear I'm not, but I'm not sure that in a year I'll truly remember which I did which way. I'm also curious when the time comes to touch up some of the shave ready razors I've acquired exactly how I'll handle that (I have no idea if the spine was taped by the original people).

I used to just throw them on the finishing stones, but now I'm just resetting the bevel each time. Stupid ebayers usually can't hone a ****.

As far as your own collection goes, I would definitely keep a record of which ones had tape on them during honing and which ones didn't. If you touching up a razor without using tape, but it was honed using a layer of tape, then you're not actually touching the edge of the bevel to the stone (i.e. just making it shiny near the edge, but not actually affecting how sharp it is).

If you want to keep the same bevel angle as the previous owner, I would ask them if they used tape or not. You can always just re-work the bevel using your preferred method so you know for sure if tape or no tape should be used for a touch-up.

Personally I don't use tape at all for any of my razors. It's just easier that way. There's no need to remember which ones I used tape on or not, plus I don't need to get the tape out to touch up a razor. But if I were, I would definitely write down which razors have had the tape treatment and which ones haven't, to avoid any mix-ups.

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

As far as your own collection goes, I would definitely keep a record of which ones had tape on them during honing and which ones didn't. If you touching up a razor without using tape, but it was honed using a layer of tape, then you're not actually touching the edge of the bevel to the stone (i.e. just making it shiny near the edge, but not actually affecting how sharp it is).

If you want to keep the same bevel angle as the previous owner, I would ask them if they used tape or not. You can always just re-work the bevel using your preferred method so you know for sure if tape or no tape should be used for a touch-up.

Personally I don't use tape at all for any of my razors. It's just easier that way. There's no need to remember which ones I used tape on or not, plus I don't need to get the tape out to touch up a razor. But if I were, I would definitely write down which razors have had the tape treatment and which ones haven't, to avoid any mix-ups.

Personally I use tape on every razor so I have no doubt as to how it was honed

Either way works....

My solution to that conundrum was to tape them all. I figure if Tim Zowada can tape the spine on a $1,000 dollar razor and it doesn't hurt the geometry taping mine shoudn't hurt anything either although there is another school of thought to that.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Personally I use tape on every razor so I have no doubt as to how it was honed

Either way works....

Lynn never uses tape on razors he hones (except in rare cases).

If you have it honed by someone else, ask them.
If you don't know when it comes time for the touch up you should be able to easily tell with the magic marker test. Paint the bevel with a sharpie. Do 2 laps (maybe 3) on your touchup stone. If all the marker has been removed from the bevel you're good to go.

1) if it was previously honed with tape and you tested without tape you would expect to see marker on the very edge and cleaned off at the top of the bevel.
2) if it was previously honed without tape and you tested with tape you would expect to see marker at the top of the bevel and clean at the very edge.
3) the other two possibilities would be a match and you would expect to see a clean bevel from top to edge.

I used to tape all of mine. Then I wanted to use my swaty for touch ups and didnt want to have to worry about taping the spine just to touch it up. I have since re-honed all my blades without tape.

The one exception is a particular razor that I just couldn't get right without tape. The spine on one side was worn left and right of center but there was a small area in the center with less wear. Most likely due to my lack of experience rolling x-strokes just wouldnt do it. And that is the story of the one razor I tape.

Since I gave you so much to read and never really answered your question here goes....I only have one razor that was not honed by me and I have yet to touch it up. I suppose it wouldnt be a bad idea. Does Mike Ratliff still hang around these boards?