As I said in one of the other threads try it if you don't like it fine don't use it anymore....
However here is the reverse thought on taping the spine,,,
Not to bust on some of you guys and how you hone, but I have seen the results of many of those hone jobs,,,
When you first start out, most of you guys have a rather heavy hand on the hone so you have a tendency to wear years and years of metal off the spine.... So if yer theories of spine wear vs edge wear has any basis at all, then you should tape the spine for the next 50 years to even that initial spine wear up....:D