Taping while using paddle strop

I had a little visit with MVCrash yesterday. He's working on building a full setup of bench strops for razor maintenance with pastes. One of the things he talked about is using tape while using a pasted paddle or bench strop. Coincidentally I've also been using tape when I go to a paddle strop whether it's pasted or not.

The idea here is that on a razor that has been honed with tape, you will get better edge contact on the flat surface of a paddle. On a hanging strop there is slack, so you can strop without tape. In my own experiments, I've definitely gotten better edge contact while using tape.

I know some will disagree with this but I figured I will share for the purpose of discussion.

I would not agree or disagree. I think there is much technique for stropping and depending on how much pressure you use, tape (or not) could work very well.

Well, the idea is that every strop has a minimum slack, so the tape is not needed.

I tape the whole strop to avoid nicking it.

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Originally Posted by ace

I tape the whole strop to avoid nicking it.

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It's easier to just tape the edge of the razor

I leave the tape on when I go to the pasted strop after the hones. Once thats done and I go the regular hanging strops the tape gets removed. The tape ensures the same contact with the paddle as it got on the hones.

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

It's easier to just tape the edge of the razor

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I do both, but it does seem to slow down the stropping results. But, what the heck, what's 10,000 laps anyway, eh?

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

It's easier to just tape the edge of the razor

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I do both, but it does seem to slow down the stropping results. But, what the heck, what's 10,000 laps anyway, eh?

It ain't my fault, dang it! If I can strop 10,000 laps, I oughta be able to submit a single post, but nooooooooooooooooooo!

I believe it might depend on the Strop..

Although I personally don't like Balsa strops, if I were using a Pasted balsa I would leave the tape on, but on any "Material" strops ie: leather felt webbing etc: even if it were a bench or paddle I don't leave the tape on...

I use tape when using a abrasive pasted paddle strop but remove the tape when using a abrasive pasted hanging strop. The goal is to maintain the bevel angle as much as possible.

I started out on a paddle strop and have been saying this all the time. The paddle doesn't flex like a hanging strop. Don't get me wrong, my hanging strops don't droop, but there is a bit of flex to them.

Moral of the story: If you tape while honing and use a paddle strop, you need to tape when you strop or the edge is more than likely not getting stropped.

This is why I actually added hanging strops to my stropping routine.

That, shooter, is what I was wondering, too. I usually have a double-taped razor these days (the earlier ones were honed "naked"). I just add more pressure to make some "give" on the paddle strop and it works. But I do hear more imperfections being trued when I put a layer of tape on that razor and strop it (I only have paddle strops (2)). This is before and after refreshing an edge on a pasted paddle strop.

I use the tape on the paddle strop because I don't see that much flex or give in the surface of the leather. The leather is quite thin and I think the tape keeps the bevel on the surface. I've had good luck doing this and like the results. To each their own.