Thread: Question on Spine Taping and Angle

Honestly you guys are way over thinking this, and trust me we all have done the same in the past... Here are the numbers, and please don't take my word for this, there are multiple threads on this forum proving it...

Bevel angles range from about 13 degrees to 25 degrees, They all shave..
The mean and average falls at about 16 degrees
3M Electrical tape 33+ adds just less then .75 of one degree to the bevel angle on a 6/8 razor

By the time any of this matters the blade will be so short the flex and shaving ability will be gone anyway...

If you want to tape, tape if you don't want to tape, don't, the only real difference it will make is on the spine...

I'm just trying to get some of thinking out of the way before I attempt honing. Doing it the opposite way would doom a decent edge on a piece of steel. Elsewhere in this thread we find:

"As I said above, if you take the tape off after you set the bevel and don't reset the bevel, you will not be honing the edge of the razor. Only the very back of the bevel will make contact with the hone. "

So the effect of the tape is negligible on the actual bevel angle, but it IS important as regards finishing the edge after the bevel is set. That is, whether one tapes or not will be meaningless regarding the final quality of the edge. However, if one removes the tape the bevel was set with, then finishing will really amount only to a very slow, and unintentional, process of re-establishing the bevel. Is that right?

Originally Posted by ace

However, if one removes the tape the bevel was set with, then finishing will really amount only to a very slow, and unintentional, process of re-establishing the bevel. Is that right?

If you set the bevel on a 1k taped, remove the tape and hone on the 4k it won't take that long to get down to where you're making contact with the edge. Alternatively if you have an ebay special with minor chips and corrosion, tape the spine, get the garbage out on the 1k, and then take the tape off. Stay on the 1k with no tape it will take even less time to get to the very edge.

OTOH, just start out with one layer of tape and stick with it. You won't have to remember which were taped and which were not or worry about wear on the spine. Once you feel confident in your skills make the choice to go with or without. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the response. Now off to get some stones!