Once straight and true, I grip each end, rotating, and swapping ends, finding the best 'feel'. I then do the same to the back edge, tapering from the hilt to the tip, not the pommel. Now bevel the edges nice and round with the plane. Now for the taping. Take your time, and keep the tape as smooth as possible.
Wrinkles weaken the tape and look sloppy.
Third layer is also spiral, but counter or crosswise to the first layer. Now, you need a rat tail rasp. Grip the hilt, and outline the thumb and mark a line designating the knuckle pads. You will be roughly shaping the grip to your palm. Gripping a roll of clay or wax will give you an approximate of the shape your looking for.