rbscebu
Member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2020
I thought it best to reply to this post in the SR section.
Almost all SR's with a full wedge grind will be honed with a taped spine. The reason for this is that it greatly reduces the amount of metal that needs to be removed from the blade and the associated effort required. Without tape when honing a wedge grind, metal needs to be removed all the way from the edge to the spine - on both sides. With tape, only metal near the edge needs to be removed. This can also apply to a SR with a near-wedge grind, but to a lesser extent.
Others like to hone with a taped spine to "protect" the spine from wear. This is more common with SR's having a decorated spine. Honing with tape also increases the bevel angle, making the edge less keen (sharp). This may be preferred by some - not me.
When setting a bevel on a SR that needs a lot a metal removed (like one with a 180° bevel angle), I hone with a taped spine until I am close to the bevel set. The tape is then removed and the final bevel set is then completed without tape.
The disadvantage of honing with a taped spine is that the SR should then always be honed with a taped spine. The spine will need to be taped with the same tape thickness each and every time that it is honed (unless the bevel is being reset). If the SR is honed with tape by an outsider, you will need to know the type and number of tape layers that were used so that it can be replicated at subsequent honings. A properly maintained SR should only need its bevel set just once.
Using a taped spine in diamond pasted balsa stropping does not work. The tape wears and contaminates the diamonds in the balsa. If using diamond pasted balsa strops to refine or maintain your SR edge, ensure that it has not been honed since its last bevel set (inclusive).
Generally it is best to not hone a SR with a taped spine unless there is a very good reason to do so. With experience, a SR can be honed and maintained with very little evidence of spine wear.
Honing a SR with a taped spine is a method liked by some. It has its place in some honing situations and is detrimental in other situations.
Almost all SR's with a full wedge grind will be honed with a taped spine. The reason for this is that it greatly reduces the amount of metal that needs to be removed from the blade and the associated effort required. Without tape when honing a wedge grind, metal needs to be removed all the way from the edge to the spine - on both sides. With tape, only metal near the edge needs to be removed. This can also apply to a SR with a near-wedge grind, but to a lesser extent.
Others like to hone with a taped spine to "protect" the spine from wear. This is more common with SR's having a decorated spine. Honing with tape also increases the bevel angle, making the edge less keen (sharp). This may be preferred by some - not me.
When setting a bevel on a SR that needs a lot a metal removed (like one with a 180° bevel angle), I hone with a taped spine until I am close to the bevel set. The tape is then removed and the final bevel set is then completed without tape.
The disadvantage of honing with a taped spine is that the SR should then always be honed with a taped spine. The spine will need to be taped with the same tape thickness each and every time that it is honed (unless the bevel is being reset). If the SR is honed with tape by an outsider, you will need to know the type and number of tape layers that were used so that it can be replicated at subsequent honings. A properly maintained SR should only need its bevel set just once.
Using a taped spine in diamond pasted balsa stropping does not work. The tape wears and contaminates the diamonds in the balsa. If using diamond pasted balsa strops to refine or maintain your SR edge, ensure that it has not been honed since its last bevel set (inclusive).
Generally it is best to not hone a SR with a taped spine unless there is a very good reason to do so. With experience, a SR can be honed and maintained with very little evidence of spine wear.
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