Thread: Stropping with tape on the spine

I've never seen anyone strop a razor with a taped spine (especially a razor that was just honed with a taped spine). Have you?

If a razor was honed with tape, why wouldn't it be stropped with tape? What am I missing?

Most strop with tape to avoid wear on the spine. Your stones are solid. A strop flexes so there is no need for tape on the spine.

Unlike a hone which has no give a strop does so using tape does not matter. The strop will always reach the edge.

Bob

No reason for that. The natural sag of the strop ensures that the apex comes in contact with the strop. And even spine-wear-ophobics have to admit that a hanging leather strop's actual abrasive action is insignificant. So no, don't tape your spine for stropping even if you always, no matter what, use tape when honing.

Originally Posted by bouschie

Most strop with tape to avoid wear on the spine. Your stones are solid. A strop flexes so there is no need for tape on the spine.

I think that I don't think you said what I think you thought you said, there.

Sometimes i strop with a taped spine.

If i'm having trouble honing a full hollow, a few laps on certain jnats could be the difference between a win or a fail..In that case i would leave the tape on, then if it does not pass the HHT after stropping i can go straight back to the stones without re taping..
..
Stropping with tape is fine if you want but you will find that electrical tape cases drag..Kapton tape is great, slick..

Yep. As said above.
If Im not completely done honing and was honi g with tape i strop with the tape so i dont need to reaply tape when going back to the hone. Its not like your doing 50 or 100 laps. Just a few laps on the strop then back to the hone.

Originally Posted by RFP357

I've never seen anyone strop a razor with a taped spine (especially a razor that was just honed with a taped spine). Have you?

If a razor was honed with tape, why wouldn't it be stropped with tape? What am I missing?

Can’t see any real advantage (I also do no longer put tape on a razor when I hone), but can see the disadvantage of some sticky residue from the tape contaminating the leather.
When stropping, I put even less load on the spine than when honing.

In short: no real need, no real advantage, but some possible disadvantage.


B.

The comments so far are talking about a hanging strop. Would the same rational apply to a paddle strop. I don't think so.

Yes, I find that when I use a paddle for tools and knives I use more pressure. Either way leather flexes enough to reach the edge.

Think about this, it is a common trick when honing on film to do your final laps with a layer of copy paper under the film the wet paper compresses enough to hone the edge more than the back of the bevel. Almost a micro bevel, it will make the edge less harsh.

I hone all razors with one layer of electrical tape and one layer of Kapton, and strop between stone with the tape on the spine. After honing the strops will always flex enough to reach and polish the edge.

You don’t need to tape an edge to strop an edge that has been honed on tape.

Here is an interesting post from Tim Zowada with micro graphs on stropping on linen, note the edge is more polished than the back of the bevel.

(How effective is clean fabric?)