I've been using a shim with my Mühle R89 for the last couple of days and was interested in hearing whether anyone else in GSL had experience modifying their usual shave gear.
I am a big fan of the R89 (and most things Mühle) but have sometimes been left wondering whether I could get closer shave from it without needing additional passes. In addition to the R89 I have an open comb and a couple of straights, also several different blades in regular rotation, so can easily vary shave results using a different set of equipment. However, I was particularly interested to see whether the mild, smooth R89 could be encouraged to give me a closer shave without having to risk irritation from resorting to extra passes.
I spent some time researching how other people have changed the 'aggressiveness' of their razor using a trimmed blade as a shim on the bottom plate of their razor. I was surprised by how easy it was to cut a blade, so decided to try it for myself.
I experimented with trimming just the sharp edge of a blade, then slightly more until I had what I thought would be enough to change the profile of the razor head and blade without doing anything crazy with blade gap, exposure, etc. The shim I settled on has about 2mm removed from each of the sharp edges, so is still big enough to lift the cutting blade from the base without massively altering the 'bend' applied to the blade by the cap.
I've had two full shaves with the shim in place on the R89 and the difference is subtle, but noticeable. I get the distinct impression that the blade has more contact with my face - not as much as the open comb, but more than I usually get with the closed comb - without being overly aggressive. No difference in the audible feedback I get, and no blade 'chatter' that some people mention. I feel like I get a slightly improved shave that lasts longer before the 'five o'clock shadow' is evident. Also, because I don't need addition passes I get no weepers or irritation (which is common if I resort to 4 passes or more). I'll persevere with the shim for my usual 5 shaves with a blade and gauge whether the improvement is consistent. If I can achieve what I consider a DFS or BBS every time I will be happy.
Anybody else tried this? Any variations on size of shim, number of shims, positioning of shim? Am I really getting a closer shave or am I imagining it? All comments welcomed.
I am a big fan of the R89 (and most things Mühle) but have sometimes been left wondering whether I could get closer shave from it without needing additional passes. In addition to the R89 I have an open comb and a couple of straights, also several different blades in regular rotation, so can easily vary shave results using a different set of equipment. However, I was particularly interested to see whether the mild, smooth R89 could be encouraged to give me a closer shave without having to risk irritation from resorting to extra passes.
I spent some time researching how other people have changed the 'aggressiveness' of their razor using a trimmed blade as a shim on the bottom plate of their razor. I was surprised by how easy it was to cut a blade, so decided to try it for myself.
I experimented with trimming just the sharp edge of a blade, then slightly more until I had what I thought would be enough to change the profile of the razor head and blade without doing anything crazy with blade gap, exposure, etc. The shim I settled on has about 2mm removed from each of the sharp edges, so is still big enough to lift the cutting blade from the base without massively altering the 'bend' applied to the blade by the cap.
I've had two full shaves with the shim in place on the R89 and the difference is subtle, but noticeable. I get the distinct impression that the blade has more contact with my face - not as much as the open comb, but more than I usually get with the closed comb - without being overly aggressive. No difference in the audible feedback I get, and no blade 'chatter' that some people mention. I feel like I get a slightly improved shave that lasts longer before the 'five o'clock shadow' is evident. Also, because I don't need addition passes I get no weepers or irritation (which is common if I resort to 4 passes or more). I'll persevere with the shim for my usual 5 shaves with a blade and gauge whether the improvement is consistent. If I can achieve what I consider a DFS or BBS every time I will be happy.
Anybody else tried this? Any variations on size of shim, number of shims, positioning of shim? Am I really getting a closer shave or am I imagining it? All comments welcomed.
