What's new

Shimming an Old Type

I'm trying to get a more comfortable shave with a 1918 Old Type. Should the shim be next to the cap or the base plate? Thanks for the help!
 
Depends on where the discomfort is coming from... If it's a thin cap, the shim between the cap and blade may help. Try not to cut too much off of the shim...
 
Shimming Old Types is controversial. Some say the practice is helpful. Other say it is a waste of effort. Do your own experimentation with an open attitude, but don't necessarily expect a miracle.
 
Interesting, I have never shimmer but I always thought it went under the blade. Like this old B&B photo:
full
 
Interesting, I have never shimmer but I always thought it went under the blade. Like this old B&B photo:
full


Agreed based on the fact that modern sets with multiple aggressiveness levels change the base plate rather than the top cap to vary the aggressiveness level, at least Charcoal Goods and ATT do so.
 
Shimming is worth trying because it's a cheap, easy way to alter either blade gap, cap thickness or both, depending on the style of razor being shimmed.

Also don't hesitate to use more than one shim in search of a desired effect. With certain 3 piece razors such as the ATT R1, one or two shims above the shaving blade make an enormous difference in the smoothness of the shave due to the effect of stabilizing the blade and increasing the apparent top cap thickness. Let us know what experience you achieve.
 
Hi,

I have a Thin Cap OT from my Grandfather which is rather harsh. Being that it is heirloom, I have been quite determined to make use of it. So, I have run shimming experiments.

I have tried both single and double shims. Both on top and under the cutting blade. I even tried one on top and one under. What I found to work the best is:

One shim under.

The problem is, these OTs vary on their own long before your personal variance comes along. So, here is the usual YMMV... :p

Also, I have found using a blade in my OT which is used from another razor and about to be binned.......also helps. When the blade efficiency drops off in any other razor, it smooths out in my OT.

Stan
 
Interesting, I have never shimmer but I always thought it went under the blade. Like this old B&B photo:
full

Agreed based on the fact that modern sets with multiple aggressiveness levels change the base plate rather than the top cap to vary the aggressiveness level, at least Charcoal Goods and ATT do so.

I think most gents shim under the blade.

The OP wants a more comfortable shave from the Old Type. Shimming the razor between the cap and blade will basically reduce blade exposure by moving the cap away from the blade.

Shimming between the baseplate and blade will increase blade gap and blade exposure.

Shimming Old Types is controversial. Some say the practice is helpful. Other say it is a waste of effort. Do your own experimentation with an open attitude, but don't necessarily expect a miracle.


There shouldn't be any controversy about it. If you shim the Old type enough, increasing the blade gap, you are turning the Old Type into an adjustable, like a Slim or Fat boy. Keeping your shims wide, you maintain rigidity and simply increase blade gap like an adjustable. You can turn any razor into an adjustable. If you cut your shims narrow, then you will possibly loose rigidity as you increase the blade gap.

A slim on setting 1 is allot different from setting 9. With enough shims the Old Type "will" have the same effect increasing the blade gap. It's not complicated at all, the cut of the shim will determine success.

IMAG0079_1.jpg
 
Thank you all for great input. I will experiment with various ideas posted here and will try to report back in the future.
@rabidus Under the cap makes the most intuitive sense to me, but I do not possess a good "engineer's" mindset, so I appreciate your input here!
@KQY61 I will also try the "used" blade shave; I have noted that some blades for me, like Silver Blues, shave better in mid-life than when right out of the wrapper. And while not an heirloom, the razor is historically significant to me, being my oldest razor and one that was originally intended for a soldier in WWI.
My best shaves have been trying to "ride the cap", as @TobyC put it in another thread.
One thing for sure, this is not a razor that I can shave with while half awake or thinking of anything but the shave! Even then it challenges me to keep that angle constant. I reach for other razors when I need to be done quick with a great shave, but I really want to learn to shave easily and well with this one, just to be able to say I did it! :smartass:
 
Today I shaved with the shim under the cap, above the blade. Seemed like an easier shave, less irritation, but I still had to be attentive, as that razor likes to bite me if I don't give it my undivided attention! Overall, great shave. Other than attention, also seemed to keep that angle shallow, but maybe not as much as before. I'll try a few more shaves and then maybe try a second shim.
 
Last edited:
Some updating on my experiences with the Old Type. I have done several shaves with one shim under the cap (above the blade). With so much blade feel, I can't think of any way to better describe the experience other than harsh. All of my attention is required, but I have managed some very good shaves with no irritation or nicks. Just one wild ride of the cap!

Today I used two shims under the cap and a Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless on its 4th use. This was comfortable enough that I would not say it was harsh, but there is still that blade feel that my Super-Speed, Tech, and Slim don't give me. My New SC has some blade feel, but not as much as this Old. Today's shave was the best yet for me. I have no doubt that what I need to do is use this thing daily, instead of on the weekend. But my excuse for not using it daily is the attention/time needed versus getting the job done and to work on time ("That's my story and I'm sticking to it"!)

In the end, the experience of a great shave with a razor 99 years old is amazing to me. For now, this will most likely be a "day off" razor when I want to enjoy history and the challenge of a good shave that needs all hands on deck.
 
In retrospect, it seems to me a shim or two between the blade and the cap is turning your thin cap Old Type razor into a thick cap Old Type razor, the Old Type razor of the 1920's. Essentially that means slightly more mellow shave for most shavers.
 
Top Bottom