Spine taping?

Parwin

Parwin

Messages
565
Location
Fife, Scotland
If a razor is origionally honed and sharpened with tape on the spine, does it affect the way it sharpens without the tape?

In other words, if you buy a shave ready razor which has been sharpened with tape, would you also need to tape the spine to hone it back to shave ready sharpness? Hope I am making this clear.
 
The short answer is yes.

If you do not, then the angle on the hone is altered by a small degree, and you will be honing the begining of the bevel first, leaving the apex untouched. You need to hone the flats till they meet at the apex.

Nothing to stop you from continuing honing until the apex is reached, though - then you will not need tape the next time.

Regards,
Neil
 
Neil Miller said:
The short answer is yes.

If you do not, then the angle on the hone is altered by a small degree, and you will be honing the begining of the bevel first, leaving the apex untouched. You need to hone the flats till they meet at the apex.

Nothing to stop you from continuing honing until the apex is reached, though - then you will not need tape the next time.

Regards,
Neil
Click to expand...


Thanks Neil. Is it more common for honemeisters to tape the spine and is it something we should ask when purchasing a razor ?
 
It's probably a personal thing - some do, some don't. I always do. If you start off and the razor needs a lot of work, then the spine gets quite worn, which can look ugly. If there is any hint of a warp or uneven grind than taping helps a lot of times - sometimes two or three layers are used.

If I restore a razor I want it to look its best, so a layer of tape prevent spine wear and also scratching across the top of the spine if you roll the back of the razor on the hone.

If you intend to sharpen the razor yourself at a later date, then it is prudent to ask, otherwise you will have to re-set the bevel.

It makes no odds to me, as I always reset the bevel anyway.

Regards,
Neil
 
Can of worms! I'm tending towards not taping "ordinary" looking razors, but preserving the spine on pretty ones. Best to be pragmatic, rather than dogmatic, I reckon. Framebacks with soft spines are something else again, by the way :?
 
Neil Miller said:
It's probably a personal thing - some do, some don't. I always do. If you start off and the razor needs a lot of work, then the spine gets quite worn, which can look ugly. If there is any hint of a warp or uneven grind than taping helps a lot of times - sometimes two or three layers are used.

If I restore a razor I want it to look its best, so a layer of tape prevent spine wear and also scratching across the top of the spine if you roll the back of the razor on the hone.

If you intend to sharpen the razor yourself at a later date, then it is prudent to ask, otherwise you will have to re-set the bevel.

It makes no odds to me, as I always reset the bevel anyway.

Regards,
Neil
Click to expand...

If the razor has been sharpened with the spine taped does this also affect the stropping. I've not heard anyone say that they tape the spine to strop but surely the same applies as to honing.
 
I'm not a straight user but I don't think it would effect stropping, as you are not removing metal in the stropping process the same way as you do when honing.
 
Parwin said:
If the razor has been sharpened with the spine taped does this also affect the stropping. I've not heard anyone say that they tape the spine to strop but surely the same applies as to honing.
Click to expand...

That's right - the razor does not have to be taped to strop it, regardless of whether or not tape was applied during honing. The leather has enough 'give' to contact all the bevel, unlike a hard stone, which has no give at all.

Regards,
Neil
 
Thanks for all the replies. I now have my chrome oxide so am ready to have a go getting a decent edge on my razor.

Sorry Neil, if I cock it up I will be sending it to you to rectify. :lol:
 
Parwin said:
Sorry Neil, if I cock it up I will be sending it to you to rectify. :lol:
Click to expand...

I'm sure that he won't mind :)

Actually, knowing Neil, he would probably prefer that you succeed rather than you have to send him the razor. He strikes me as that kind of chap.

Ian
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom