I hope this is not redundant. I dislike using tape and hone all of my razors without it. However I have a WB for barbers use(9/8), no hone wear. I have been using tape because it seems on the forums big near wedges your suppose to use it. Is this the case?
Honing with tape
- Thread starter Tom Gabison
- Start date
I used tape or 2 on wedges.
I use tape on everything so for me it would be tape on a wedge too.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Tape is usually needed on full wedge razors. You might want to hone to a finish with one layer, and then go a half dozen final laps on your finisher with an additional layer. Occasionally, maybe once in a generation, you will find that your primary bevel face is getting too wide for easy honing, and you will want to flat hone the razor, no tape, to a fresh bevel, then go one layer for the full progression and then as usual go a few laps on your finisher with an additional layer for a compound bevel. Usually wedge razors are acute enough that two layers at the finish will still give you a nice keen edge.
With a true wedge razor, it is pretty nearly impossible to flat hone to a finish. The contact area becomes the entire side of the razor and you get nowhere. I have tried it, believe me. I hate tape. And so now that I see how impractical it is to hone a wedge without tape, I hate wedges too. So take it like you feel it. But if you go more than two layers of tape, your compressibility goes off the charts and it is difficult to manage your bevel properly. YMMV.
With a true wedge razor, it is pretty nearly impossible to flat hone to a finish. The contact area becomes the entire side of the razor and you get nowhere. I have tried it, believe me. I hate tape. And so now that I see how impractical it is to hone a wedge without tape, I hate wedges too. So take it like you feel it. But if you go more than two layers of tape, your compressibility goes off the charts and it is difficult to manage your bevel properly. YMMV.
- Thread starter
- #5
I have been honing it with 1 layer and getting good results but find it tedious to put it on. Don’t hone that much so haven’t perfected a good technique. I also have a 8/8 Rigarazor that is a near wedge. I guess I have to assume that both those razors will need to be taped. Thanks for the help gents.
It's not a matter of 'you're supposed to use it" on those blades.
It's a choice that should be well thought out prior to use. That's all.
It's a choice that should be well thought out prior to use. That's all.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
FWIW with a near wedge, try to hone it without tape and if you find it just isn't working out for you, if you know what you are doing, then by all means, add a layer of tape. There is a big difference between a true full wedge, and a near wedge.
I have a Rigarazor about the same width with a quarter hollow grind. I have not done anything to it except run it through a balsa strop progression. It has a very nice edge, so you may not need to use tape unless you desire to do so.
I would guess you could do a wedge free-hand, but I don't have the skills for that. Must be a video out there of someone doing it free hand. Maybe that's how it was done 150y ago? I prefer not to tape unless there ~no alternative. On a big pretty Sheffield 8/8 wedge I had to use it.
Spine thickness/Active width X 57.3º = __º
- Thread starter
- #11
I thank everyone for the response
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
@Tom Gabison a true wedge does not need tape if you put in the effort. With a true wedge without tape, the whole blade from edge to spine is the bevel.
A near wedge does not need tape if you put in the (a bit less) effort. With a near wedge without tape, the bevel is just wider than a hollow ground SR. By how must depends on how much hollow the blade has.
A near wedge does not need tape if you put in the (a bit less) effort. With a near wedge without tape, the bevel is just wider than a hollow ground SR. By how must depends on how much hollow the blade has.
while theoretically this may be true, practically putting in the effort, whew. I’m already exhausted thinking about it.
- Thread starter
- #14
Lol. I’ll just use tape on those 2.
I honed a wedge for a friend with tape but I don’t use tape on my razors and would never buy a wedge for myself.
The main points have already been covered very well. I would only add two additional benefits of honing without tape.
1. When you hone without tape you allow the razor to bed in. The plane of the spine and the plane of the bevel become more aligned with each other. High spots are removed from the spine and the razor sits better on the stone with more consistent contact and reduced wobble.
2. Tape wears at a faster rate than steel. As you hone a taped razor the tape becomes thinner and the effective spine width gradually reduces. As this continues you loose contact at the apex.
1. When you hone without tape you allow the razor to bed in. The plane of the spine and the plane of the bevel become more aligned with each other. High spots are removed from the spine and the razor sits better on the stone with more consistent contact and reduced wobble.
2. Tape wears at a faster rate than steel. As you hone a taped razor the tape becomes thinner and the effective spine width gradually reduces. As this continues you loose contact at the apex.
Try Kapton, (eBay), it almost like not using tape. If you use Kapton over electrical tape it will make your tape last much longer.
It is thin, and cheap. Buy a tape dispenser, (Dollar Store) because it is so thin it sticks to itself when cut. Dispenser avoids that and makes it easy to measure.
It is thin, and cheap. Buy a tape dispenser, (Dollar Store) because it is so thin it sticks to itself when cut. Dispenser avoids that and makes it easy to measure.
While this is possible have you ever seen an old wedge razor done like that from the past. No they did something different too. No one used to hone them like that. You don't find them like that in the wild do you?
Tom
Any idea how they did hone them? The full wedges are the biggest challenge as I end up honing 95% bevel and 5% edge.
Alx
