Thread: Using tape for touch-ups

Gentlemen-
I would think that knowlege of simple geometry should make the answer to this question obvious, but I have to ask anyway. If a razor was sharpened with a layer of electrical tape through the full progression from bevel set to finishing stone, does one also have to use tape for the 5-7 swipes during a subsequent touch-up on a barber hone?


Thanks a lot!

Yes you would if you're going to hit the edge.

Yep - that confirms my "simple geometry -- obvious answer" quip. Thanks. Out of curiosity, does anyone NOT use tape with the forethought that having to use tape for a quick touch-up would be too inconveinient, in their opinion?

I asked myself the same question and just went ahead and touched up my edge without tape, on my barbers hone. I don't have a loop to check what it may have done to the edge, but it shaved better, so I was happy.
I'd be interested to hear from others as well.

I think I fall in the "to inconveinient" category

The answer is not quite so simple...

If the razor was just honed, without ever shaving, it takes about 20 laps on a Norton 4k to erase the 1 layer of tape bevel completely (test it yourself)
Now when you are shaving the razor, stropping the razor, resting the razor, shaving the razor, "Rinse and Repeat" That now no longer holds true, as you shave you ding up the edge then you strop and clean that mess back up, and continue, that back and forth action starts to erase the bevel.. When you go to refresh it might very well take only a very few strokes to pull the bevel back into line on a Barber's Hone regardless of the Taped bevel because it has been worn down..

Again this is another of those things that makes a good logical arguement for an engineer, but in the real world it has very little to zero bearing..

Try it and see, do not just take my word for it, go test it yourself with a good Loupe and back that up with your face

well that pretty much summed it all up for me lol thanks G

Normally, I will use the same amount of tape layers that were used to hone a razor when I refresh it.

Pretty straight forward in my opinion.

Have fun

I use the tape to keep from scratching the spine and although it changes the angle, if measured, I bet it is not very much. I think it would shape up without tape depending on how many shaves down the road you are. I am a creature of habit and if I was to put a razor to anything but a strop I would do it the same way on everything. I am just learning and I think consistency is important in my learning curve.

Originally Posted by Lynn

Normally, I will use the same amount of tape layers that were used to hone a razor when I refresh it.

Pretty straight forward in my opinion.

Have fun

+1. I also neglected to mention that one of the reasons I gave up honing razors with tape was to avoid the hassle. Damascus and maybe decorated spines being the exception. Stuck with using the the tape on those but no others. YMMV.

Originally Posted by Joegags

Does anyone NOT use tape with the forethought that having to use tape for a quick touch-up would be too inconveinient

I'm not convinced that the 10 seconds it takes to place a piece of electrical tape on the spine is really that much of an inconvenience....