If I amy throw a wrench into this discussion. I have been curious. Tape is used for honing today. But before tape it was honing with bare steel I assume? Given that and given the fact that many of those old razors which lived full lives and are again being used today are still functioning beautifully in a lot of cases I might add. Well,...what I am trying to get at is. Just how damaging is it really to hone without tape. Since your using light pressure,how long in terms of months or years would one imagine it would take before the razor was un honeable ?? I say this because I hone without tape. Is this more of a purist thing or will my razor be unuseable in a few years ? I have often been perplexed by this whole tape thing which is why I ask ?