Protecting 1ply hinoki blade

Seal it with Minwax and then buy and use this

http://www.paddlepalace.com/Dr-Neubauer-Edge-Tape/productinfo/MUTA/

in 9 mm width. It will protect you much much better than regular cloth tape. I actually use them both - I put the cloth edge tape on the edge first and then on top of that I use the foam one.

hookumsnivy wrote: The minwax won't alter the feel too much? Paddle palace is out of stock.  Do you know any other places that sell it? I checked megaspin, dandoy and a couple of others already.

No it won't unless you really overdo it.

Minwax Wipe-On Poly (Clear Gloss) - take a disposable plastic teaspoon, fill half of it, spread it on the face with a piece of lintless paper towel like Bounty. Then wait till it more or less dries, take another half spoon of Minwax and pour it on the same side of the face. Spread it uniformly with the spoon (!), let it settle, see that it doesn't drip off the edges, and set it somewhere safe overnight (or for 5-6 hours) in a very VERY horizontal position to dry. Next day do the same thing with the other side.

If they are all out of foam tape - then just go to local stationery/pharmacy and buy a small pack of 3M 1/16 inch thick and 1/2 inch wide double sided sticky tape. Cut off approximately 20 inches of it (or whatever the length of the edge of your blade is), then mark the line along its length so that it divides the width 3 to 1 (you'll get 9 mm to 3 mm ratio that way) and carefully cut it along that straight line. That's it - use it as a thick edge tape. One side should be stripped and pressed onto the blade's edge, the other side can stay covered. Or you can strip it as well and use a regular thin edge tape to cover it if you wish.

Just be aware that it weighs a bit more than foam tape but 2-3 extra grams will not scare you much, I am sure.

haggisv wrote: I've used that same tape as well  for my balsa blades, although it's a pain to cut off the extra width.  The 1-ply Darker blade edges are rounded, does it still stick OK?

I didn't have a problem there with my DS 90.