Thread: Taping the spine

I honed my first blade without tape. When I saw what 1K could do to a spine's appearance, I went out and bought some tape. I've never looked back. My edges are sharp, and my spines, well, not mine, the blades, are pretty.

I have always used 3M, however I bought some Scotch brand electrical tape and am trying it. It seems to be thinner than the 3M and stands up just as good. It is easier to get a bubble in, however, so care must be taken when smoothing it down. I like tape for the above reasons, but it definitely is lots easier on the hones, IMO!

Which brings up something I have always wondered about,as the tape wears,is it loading up the stone?

I have found that it rolls off with the water. Not much wear on the tape occurs unless setting a tough bevel. On good, concave razors, I can go all the way through with the same layer in most instances. By the time I am off the finisher, the tape is worn and much thinner than when beginning, seemingly upsetting the layer of tape/angle formula by at least half!
Wedges?....... Another layer, please! This one wore through! Make it a double! I'm getting tired!

Another very important word starting with the letter 'T' is torque. Those that understand it will not wear thru their tape quickly & those that don't tape will not create excessive extra wear on their razors spines.
It must be remembered that the spine is simply your honing angle guide & doesn't require the same pressure on the stone as the edge does.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Which brings up something I have always wondered about,as the tape wears,is it loading up the stone?

I have wondered about that as well. It would seem that the tape would load up the stone, but I haven't seen it, even on 220. I make sure that the stone is well-soaked and sprayed often, and I never use much in the way of pressure. I use brightly-colored tape so I can see it if it does come off on the stone, but it's never happened. I make a point of replacing it often to retain the bevel angle.