Thread: People who tape their spine, then sell that razor irritate me.

I've recommended that new honers use tape based on my own experience when I was a new honer. I honed everything with one layer of tape for over a year before I began experimenting with honing without tape. Mostly my own razors with an accumulation pushing 200 by now. Some for others and I used tape on those if the owner wanted it or no tape if that was what they wanted. I've since given up using tape when honing my own unless it is a Damascus blade, a decorated spine, or a spine with significant and uneven wear.

The point in mentioning the amount is that I'm not talking about having 1 or 2 razors and honing them relatively often over a period of years. In that case perhaps the difference in having the edge wear from honing with no spine wear might have a negative effect on the geometry of the razor.

I think a new honer should begin with tape to learn the stroke and the pressure before he rides bareback. You can always remove metal but you cannot put it back. Those of us who collect and hone vintage blades have encountered enough blades with uneven spine and or edge wear to know that they can be brought back to shave ready. An inexperienced honer can do more damage to a blade with too many strokes and too much pressure. Far more than would be done if there was the protection of a layer of tape. Just IMHO.