Thread: Will some razors just not sharpen without the use of tape?

That's it. That's my question. Backstory involved a quarter hollow W&B, a near nervous breakdown, loss of all confidence in my ability to learn honing, several hours of checking and re-checking everything I was doing over the course of several weeks, a "please help me" post, several PM's and skype sessions, and a consideration of transitioning totally to DE shaving. 3 layers of tape, and 20 minutes later=shaving sharp. I know some people are fundamentally against the use of tape. So that made me wonder. Do even the tape haters have to use it sometimes? I guess I should tell you I'm kind of a purist I guess. I like natural stones, and not taping razors. But what works, works.

I always use tape, generally three layers. My usage of it is to protect the spine and limit bevel height.

Having said that, my guess is that a razor that will sharpen with three layers of tape will get sharp without it.

Were people using tape 100 years ago to sharpen these same razors that trigger all these tape threads?

Originally Posted by SixNipples

Were people using tape 100 years ago to sharpen these same razors that trigger all these tape threads?

100 years ago, straight razors were strictly utilitarian objects that were still being mass produced by many manufacturers. So the answer to the question is no.

Does this razor have a lot of hone wear?

I wouldn't worry about the tape/no-tape argument. Find what works for you and gives you comfortable shaves, and do it.

Originally Posted by Theseus

100 years ago, straight razors were strictly utilitarian objects that were still being mass produced by many manufacturers. So the answer to the question is no.

Are we honing our razors to be sharper than the original users would have?

Not trying to be annoying with my questions, so I hope that's not how they are coming across.

OK once again

If 10 cents worth of electrical tape will fix what was done wrong 100 years ago without having to remove a ton of steel to even it all back up, and have a 1/8-1/4 inch thick bevel then why are you even asking ???
Now if you really want to fix the razor then you can do what they did "Back in the Day" and have it re-ground..


And Yes we do take things to a different level or at least some do,, I can't even count the numbers of razors I have honed that have never had a bevel set on parts of the blade..

Many of the older razor's seem to have softer spines too that allows un-even wear to form even faster than a newer Hollow grind..

Originally Posted by gssixgun

OK once again

If 10 cents worth of electrical tape will fix what was done wrong 100 years ago without having to remove a ton of steel to even it all back up, and have a 1/8-1/4 inch thick bevel then why are you even asking ???
Now if you really want to fix the razor then you can do what they did "Back in the Day" and have it re-ground..


And Yes we do take things to a different level or at least some do,, I can't even count the numbers of razors I have honed that have never had a bevel set on parts of the blade..

Many of the older razor's seem to have softer spines too that allows un-even wear to form even faster than a newer Hollow grind..

Can you explain a little more on what you mean?

Seems my thread got hijacked almost right out the gate. Ace, I'd be willing to put money on this razor going from almost sharp, to a wire edge, and back again, about as many times as you care to try, without the use of tape. But, I've certainly been wrong before. Unfortunately, we can't put it to the test. Anyhow, I'll try again.

To those who would classify themselves as people who do not use tape: Are there some razors that you come across, that forces the use of tape?

Gssixgun, you answered the question by saying when a razor got to that point back in the day, it'd be reground. So that would mean, for us who won't be doing any re-grinding, the answer is yes. Some razors a person will find, have no alternative but to be taped, or honed for something over 20 hours....as that's currently my soft estimate on hours spent on this razor. Granted, I'm new. But magic marker says my stroke is perfectly perfect....every time.

Sixnipples: I don't think this thread oughta get lumped in with "all these tape threads", as it doesn't really have anything to do with the classic reasons of saving the spine from hone wear, or honing a big wedge razor. Utility and efficiency being my main interest. It's not often discussed that a person should check the width of the spine against the width of the blade, when examining their razor before beginning to hone. In fact, the thread I found it in came from 2009. But whatever...Sorry for the dastardly tape thread again.

Originally Posted by regularjoe

Sixnipples: I don't think this thread oughta get lumped in with "all these tape threads", as it doesn't really have anything to do with the classic reasons of saving the spine from hone wear, or honing a big wedge razor. Utility and efficiency being my main interest. It's not often discussed that a person should check the width of the spine against the width of the blade, when examining their razor before beginning to hone. In fact, the thread I found it in came from 2009. But whatever...Sorry for the dastardly tape thread again.

Not my intention to dismiss your tape thread. I am new as well, and was just looking for clarification on what we are doing to these razors today vs. what the guys were doing in the old days.