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  1. #11
    Str8 & Loving It BladeRunner001's Avatar
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    I don't understand why taping would be considered a PITA? How hard can it really be?

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  3. #12
    ace
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    Senior Member blabbermouth ace's Avatar
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    "Make a choice and deal with it..."

    Fair enough! Now, where's my tape?

  4. #13
    I used Nakayamas for my house mainaman's Avatar
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    I go both ways depending on how the razor was honed before.
    On restored razors i always use tape. It is just question of choice and nothing more.
    Stefan

  5. #14
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BladeRunner001 View Post
    I don't understand why taping would be considered a PITA? How hard can it really be?
    Until you don't do it you won't know what a pain it is when you have to.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

  6. #15
    Senior Member Bladerunner's Avatar
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    I tape what I have not initially set. Works every time....for me!

  7. #16
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bladerunner View Post
    I tape what I have not initially set. Works every time....for me!
    Like I said, different strokes for different folks.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

  8. #17
    Just one more lap... FloorPizza's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gssixgun View Post
    Make a choice and deal with it...

    I can only state all the various reasons over and over so many times...

    I am one who tapes every single razor Yours, Mine, and Theirs.. I am very very conscious of changing the tape at every level of honing...
    I started taping because, I started restoring razors and I will be d*mned if I am going to spend all that time polishing out a blade to a near perfect finish, then put hone wear on it, so I tape...

    Now on the reverse side of that I have yet to have a razor come in for honing or restore that has been harmed from tape (maybe 100 years from now I will) but I sure have fixed a truck load that have been harmed from hone wear on the spine
    And your customers greatly appreciate it, Glen. I'll only send my very few really nice blades out to someone that does tape the spine, as I really don't want any hone wear on the spines of my few good blades. I have dozens of "practice" razors, and I don't care if they get worn spines or not, but on my good ones... I'll pass on the hone worn spines, thanks.

    I sent my NOS Hess 44 RP out to a guy once that didn't tape the spine. Not only did it come back with hone wear, but the back of the spine had numerous scratches on it from flipping the blade on the surface of the hone. I spent several hours polishing out the scratches on the back of the spine.

    Personally, I like to tape the spine. In addition to protecting the spine from hone wear, it gives the blade a bit of additional stability on the hone, IMO. I have yet to notice any decrease in keeness of blades sharpened with tape, or without. And I challenge anyone to get a blade sharper than Glen does, and he tapes every blade. Not only are his blades sharp, but they're very smoooooth.

    IMO, it's just personal choice, with no real right or wrong answer. You don't mind the hone wear, then go without. No biggy.

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  10. #18
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    I strongly concur with Jimmy. In the beginning tape is pretty helpful.

    I think the POA comes into play with re-honing. On with the tape every time.

    I'm also a pretty big advocate of using tape if you have extensive amounts of honing to accomplish. Beginner or not.

    A pro like Glen will tape a razor and others will appreciate it as noted in the thread. That makes perfect sense to me too.

    I always tape a razors edge when I begin to suspect spine wear complications because it quickly and easily both diagnoses and solves the problem instantly.

    I personally don't look that close at my razors that I would know or care if they had a few scratches somewhere. To me it's like cylinder drag on a revolver. It's wear, but it's wear that is supposed to be there. Ya know? To me that's like worrying about the wrinkles I put in my ties.

    But, it makes perfect sense that someone who purchases an expenses vintage blade might not want scratches in the their blades.

    One of the big reasons we have developed a push against tape is that guys buy razors honed by professionals and the big benefit is that the bevels are set really well and require an easy "touch up" honing. There was a time, back in the day, when people would have trouble re-touching the blade, mostly because they didn't realize that it had been taped. Sometimes, but not often, they would know it was taped but either not know what kind or what thickness the tape was. They had more difficulty touching up because they needed more strokes than would have ever made sense to accomplish (if they were honing without tape).

    So, again, tape has it's purpose and it's moments when EVERYONE should use it. It also has some detractors that don't do it or don't like it. Hell, I probably won't ever date another blond again, but that doesn't mean all men should shoot for brunettes.

    All of the tools and techniques we use are useful. All the tests are useful. Some of us like tools, techniques, and tests. Some of us have biases, strong and weak. Either way what is important is to weigh the arguments based on what you want to accomplish. If you want to hone a razor and not scratch the spine, you'd better use (and purchase) a lot of tape. Anything wrong with that? Absolutely not. You wanna do 1000 strokes on 200 grit? You better add some tape if you want more than a toothpick left.

    But, if you are doing some light honing, don't really care too much about spine wear, and certainly don't want to do anything outside of traditional razor use. Don't sweat the tape.
    Last edited by AFDavis11; 01-27-2011 at 10:49 PM.

  11. #19
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
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    I would imagine if you do honing as a business the last thing you want is someone complaining about their pristine custom razor which now has hone wear and is ruined now. In that case yes taping is the way to go. Personally the only time I tape is to preserve ornate spines and also my Zowada's.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  12. #20
    At this point in time... gssixgun's Avatar
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    Cool

    Way to much thought, and effort in here, as usual LOL

    Tape if ya want, don't tape if ya want, it really is that simple...

    Lynn doesn't tape, Max and I do, I don't know really what all the other guys that hone and restore do, but I really think it is a personal choice....

    I used to have a whole list of pluses that I used to post every single time this topic came up, but now I just figure each person can do or ask for what they want done... And I do have a few customers that specifically ask for "no tape", that is their choice, and it makes not one bit of difference to me when I am honing...

    To Tape or not to Tape is not the question, it is but a simple decision see I is a poet and don't know it,


    BTW This is the top portion of the letter I send home with the razor...

    How your razor was honed

    I have started to include this letter with all my razors….
    Unless otherwise requested all razors are taped with one layer of 3M #700 electrical tape while on the stones…. Yes I know there are 2 opposite camps on this, but they are not my razors, and I am not going to scratch them up….

    They do not need to be taped on any kind of strop, only if you go back to a hone….and even then about 20 laps will erase the taped bevel on a 4k hone…
    Last edited by gssixgun; 01-27-2011 at 10:56 PM.

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