Thread: Technique help

When you hone you remove metal from both the edge and the spine. That flattens the sides of the spine (the shoulders) and makes the razor look used. By covering the spine with electric tape, you don't remove any metal from the spine and the blade keeps looking new.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

When you hone you remove metal from both the edge and the spine. That flattens the sides of the spine (the shoulders) and makes the razor look used. By covering the spine with electric tape, you don't remove any metal from the spine and the blade keeps looking new.

But the angle nevertheless changes?

Minutely and due to the uniform tape thickness, it stays consistent. However, I only do this with new arrivals or damaged blades as the tape gums up the hone, which reduces the effectiveness and requires a lapping to restore its metal-removal ability. Once the blade gets close to being shave-ready or needs a touchup, I don't bother with the tape. I have so many in my rotation that the hone-wear on each will be barely noticeable by the time I die. Ofcourse I don't buy blades unless they have no or barely any hone wear.