Lets separate the issues of whether it changes the weight, whether it changes the feel, and whether it matters.
1) It definitely adds weight since the tape does weigh something and you are putting it on the edge of the blade. It adds more of a feeling of weight than if you put the same amount of tape on the handle. But the amount of weight is still minor.
2) I can feel the difference. But maybe not everyone would care. I don't personally care either. But I have gone back and forth with a piece of edge tape, on, off, on, off to see if it was just in my head. I could feel the difference. But the difference wasn't that important to me. If you had me blindfolded and you were handing me the same blade with the tape on, then with it off and repeating while randomly taking on and off, if I felt each 10 times, as long as it is one blade and the same piece of tape being added and taken away, I am pretty comfortable that I could feel which is which. But it still does not matter because (read next part....)
3) Does it matter: If you used the setup with tape for 5 min, you would adjust and it would not really change anything about what you do in training or match play. You would adjust how much force you need for your strokes so everything was pretty much the same. You can say the same thing in reverse.
So, based on number 3, the issue boils down to whether you like edge tape or not. I like seeing the wood. To me it looks more raw when you see the wood of the blade.
By the way: number 3 applies to many changes in TT equipment as well. Regardless of the setup, as long as it is not wildly too fast for the player to handle, if you play with it for a while, you will adjust to the setup and then the setup does not matter.
If you played with a pretty fast setup that you could handle for 6 months and used nothing else, and then switched to a setup that was a few notches slower, at first the setup would feel REALLY SLOW. But if you used it for 6 months and then switched to the faster setup that you had been using prior, the faster setup would feel really fast.....And then, as you used it, you would adjust and get used to it.
The reason a developing player would not benefit from a fast fast setup is, it would cause the player to cut down his stroke, to NOT TAKE a FULL stroke. Once a full stroke is in muscle memory for real and a player can adjust his stroke to get the ball to land on the table without cutting the stroke down, then you can kind of use almost anything.
So, so much of the equipment dialogue is not actually important to a player developing the skills of TT.
Do you like edge tape? Use it! Do you not like edge tape? Don't use it. The rest does not matter.
But feel free to try that test of hitting three balls with the edge tape on, and then pulling it off and hitting another three balls, and putting it back on, and taking it off. Do it several times while trying to pay attention and see if you can feel any difference. What someone else can feel does not matter that much. See if you can feel any difference or not. It is a very easy test and it won't cost anything. The glue on edge tape allows you to take it off and put it back on many times.
