Someone doesn't have children.........
Good Bye - Electrical Tape
- Thread starter Alacrity59
- Start date
Someone doesn't have children.........
Yeah, I don't. But if I did, I'd probably not opt for a nice tablecloth!
You my friend have an answer for everything.
I don't use tape. I figure they didn't use it back in the day so I don't. Doesn't make it right but its a pretty good excuse.
Tape? You can't handle the tape!
If taped spined razors where shown to somehow be better or worse than nontaped spines we could have a real good debate. As it is now, we are arguing over whether the Green M&Ms taste better than the Red M&Ms. Or to be more blunt, whether your fart smells better than mine.
If taped spined razors where shown to somehow be better or worse than nontaped spines we could have a real good debate. As it is now, we are arguing over whether the Green M&Ms taste better than the Red M&Ms. Or to be more blunt, whether your fart smells better than mine.
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Tape? You can't handle the tape!
If taped spined razors where shown to somehow be better or worse than nontaped spines we could have a real good debate. As it is now, we are arguing over whether the Green M&Ms taste better than the Red M&Ms. Or to be more blunt, whether your fart smells better than mine.
I think that it is obvious that the red M&Ms are much better than the green ones
Tape? You can't handle the tape!
If taped spined razors where shown to somehow be better or worse than nontaped spines we could have a real good debate. As it is now, we are arguing over whether the Green M&Ms taste better than the Red M&Ms. Or to be more blunt, whether your fart smells better than mine.
I completely agree. I stated my reason for personally not liking tape. We got off track a bit talking about the relative merits in terms of feedback from using taping or not.
I enter this thread with trepidation and start by stating that whatever works for you is OK, electrical tape, duct tape, double sided carpet tape, don't make no difference to me but.......I have been gingerly going in the opposite direction, ie using tape more often. For several reasons. One, some of my oldies have very shallow bevel angles (around 14 degrees) and I have noticed that the lower angles tend to be a bit rough on my skin. I rescued a Wilkinson that had a crack across the bevel forcing me to breadknife the entire width of the bevel. Amazingly I was able to eliminate the crack, but ended up with a blade with a very broad bevel as a consequence. I regretfully put two pieces of tape on it and honed, ending up with a bevel angle of 18 degrees. What a smooth and effective edge it had! This got me wondering. And then I read Tim Zowada's thoughts on taping during honing. Then I started playing around with 0.125 CBN and noticed that stropping with that on a low angle bevel created a very sharp edge that seemed to prefer taking thin sections off my skin to cutting whiskers. So I played with adding tape to increase the bevel angle toward 18 degrees and it seems to make a difference. So my flirting with tape will continue....
But, I find it annoying to hone with tape. I agree with danjared that it makes the feedback crappy. And with coarse hones the tape abrades and pieces roll off and get annoying. And for those final finishing strokes it adds a bit of friction that makes it harder to be delicate. I've wondered if using aluminum foil duct tape would be better, the aluminum might be more like the steel and slide easier. But that tape would be tricky to put on I think, the adhesive is very strong and the aluminum creases easily. Still I might give it a go, can't do any harm to try.
But, I find it annoying to hone with tape. I agree with danjared that it makes the feedback crappy. And with coarse hones the tape abrades and pieces roll off and get annoying. And for those final finishing strokes it adds a bit of friction that makes it harder to be delicate. I've wondered if using aluminum foil duct tape would be better, the aluminum might be more like the steel and slide easier. But that tape would be tricky to put on I think, the adhesive is very strong and the aluminum creases easily. Still I might give it a go, can't do any harm to try.
Brownbear, As you spend more time honing with the same brand of tape the feedback you feel without it will return and you may (as I now do) prefer the feel of honing with tape as the only feedback I get is from the cutting edge. One thing I would like to make note of is I like to apply a fresh peice of tape for the final finishing strokes. That little bit of difference from fresh tape is enough to bring the cutting edge to the next level if there is any wear on the tape at all.
The first time I browsed this forum on my iphone instead of seeing the thread title as "Good Bye - Electrical Tape , I saw:
Group Buy - Electrical Tape !!!
Group Buy - Electrical Tape !!!
Interesting discussion. My honemeister is definitely from the no-tape school as pointed out from the discussion above: the angle will change over time if the spine isn't ground down in proportion to the edge. I can see both sides. If I have an expensive razor, I don't want to have the spine showing premature signs of wear. Luckily I am still in the $80 dollar range with my razors. If I ever graduate to the $250-600 dollar range hopefully I will have my mind made up on which way is best.
I only use tape if the edge needs extensive work but even then I remove the tape for the final bevel set. I do have a couple of customs that tape was used on and I keep it that way.
Also; if I'm playing with a micro bevel of course tape is used.
Also; if I'm playing with a micro bevel of course tape is used.
When hone wear determines the value of your $200+ razor I wonder if you'll use tape or not.
I'm with Henry on this one. I don't use tape often, but it's because I'm too lazy to put it on every time. However, when I do, I don't feel that the feedback is changed appreciably...
I'd be in on a Group Buy for electrical tape, though...
I'd be in on a Group Buy for electrical tape, though...
I only have 1 razor that costs more than 70 bucks so protecting the spine is no biggie to me. However, if I had some of the high end razors that the heavy hitters here have, I would be hard pressed to not use tape to protect the spine...so the question here is, would you tape the spine of your Silverwing?
I have tyet to hone a razor that after taking measurements and computing the angles that 1 one layer of tape was enough to bring the bevel angle out of its suggested optimum angle variance. I have however come across many razors that were below the suggested angle with as many as two pieces of tape. So it is more likely to help a razor by taping than to hurt one in my opinion.
I used tape when I started, but also sent some of my razors to be honed by a reputable honemeister here to compare edges. His edges would always last whereas mine needed touchup honing at least once a month. His opinion of it was because of the tape, when you strop, it does not make the best contact with the strop (unless you use tape to strop as well!). I suppose you could slacken your strop, but it is a fine line of making contact and rounding an edge. Use tape to save metal, but in the end you don't save metal because you hone more often. I stopped using tape and my edges now last. I rarely need to touch up on a barber hone anymore, a good stropping keeps the edges strong. I have a couple of $200+ razors and a couple of mid $100 ones. I don't use tape and don't notice any spine wear. I suspect once they do show wear, they will be quite old and still good shavers as the wear is even.
Just my opinion/experience. I say if you want to use tape, that is fine. Do whatever works for you.
Just my opinion/experience. I say if you want to use tape, that is fine. Do whatever works for you.
Cheapskate!
