Gents,
How many of you guys out there have tried shimming your razor(s)?
Whats Shimming?
Shimming is where you place something under the blade in your razor (used blades with the sharp edges cut off, washers, etc.) that increases the blade gap and thus the aggressiveness of you razor.
Background
As I continue in my pursuit of the perfect shave, I have been getting a better understanding of the relationship between blade exposure, blade gap, blade angle, and blade sharpness. I love shaving with my adjustables because I can adjust the blade gap and I have shimmed some of my other razors in the past for some really close shaves, but the real surprise came when I shimmed the Gillette Tech I recently purchased.
The Tech
IMO, the Tech is arguably one of the mildest and smoothest razors out there. Even so, if I put a really sharp blade in it (like a Feather) I have been able to get some very close (and smooth) shaves. Not BBS but a really DFS. Recently I have been shimming it pretty aggressively while comparing Feathers to Med Prep blades and have been getting the closest shaves of my life! Im telling you that I have been consistently getting BBS shaves for the past three mornings using my fat handle, pre-war Tech with either a Feather or a Med Prep loaded in it! For some of you guys out there who get BBS shaves all the time this may not sound like much, but with my beard and skin combo, THIS IS HUGE! I normally get a DFS with only the occasional BBS when everything comes together.
Technically Speaking
Looking at it from a technical standpoint, the Tech seems to have a little more blade exposure than most of my other razors but the blade angle and gap are so subtle that you still get a really smooth shave. When using the shims, both the blade gap AND the blade exposure look pretty aggressive to me. In fact, the blade exposure looks like it extends PAST the line between the safety bar and the dome of the razor
. Not a lot, but certainly enough to make me want to focus more during my shave.
Disclaimer
To be honest, with two (or more) shims and an incredibly sharp blade loaded, I have been VERY CAREFUL to use my best technique and that will account for some of the BBS. However, it certainly doesnt account for all of it.
Conclusion
Now, I dont recommend that you try this unless you feel pretty strong about your technique, but I have been getting some awesome performance out of what I have considered to be a pretty humble razor (I may have to get this thing re-plated). BTW, when I shimmed my other razors the performance jump was good but it wasnt this graphic. Of course, YMMV.
Anybody else tried this? What kind of performance did you get out of it?
Happy Shaving
How many of you guys out there have tried shimming your razor(s)?
Whats Shimming?
Shimming is where you place something under the blade in your razor (used blades with the sharp edges cut off, washers, etc.) that increases the blade gap and thus the aggressiveness of you razor.
Background
As I continue in my pursuit of the perfect shave, I have been getting a better understanding of the relationship between blade exposure, blade gap, blade angle, and blade sharpness. I love shaving with my adjustables because I can adjust the blade gap and I have shimmed some of my other razors in the past for some really close shaves, but the real surprise came when I shimmed the Gillette Tech I recently purchased.
The Tech
IMO, the Tech is arguably one of the mildest and smoothest razors out there. Even so, if I put a really sharp blade in it (like a Feather) I have been able to get some very close (and smooth) shaves. Not BBS but a really DFS. Recently I have been shimming it pretty aggressively while comparing Feathers to Med Prep blades and have been getting the closest shaves of my life! Im telling you that I have been consistently getting BBS shaves for the past three mornings using my fat handle, pre-war Tech with either a Feather or a Med Prep loaded in it! For some of you guys out there who get BBS shaves all the time this may not sound like much, but with my beard and skin combo, THIS IS HUGE! I normally get a DFS with only the occasional BBS when everything comes together.
Technically Speaking
Looking at it from a technical standpoint, the Tech seems to have a little more blade exposure than most of my other razors but the blade angle and gap are so subtle that you still get a really smooth shave. When using the shims, both the blade gap AND the blade exposure look pretty aggressive to me. In fact, the blade exposure looks like it extends PAST the line between the safety bar and the dome of the razor
. Not a lot, but certainly enough to make me want to focus more during my shave. Disclaimer
To be honest, with two (or more) shims and an incredibly sharp blade loaded, I have been VERY CAREFUL to use my best technique and that will account for some of the BBS. However, it certainly doesnt account for all of it.
Conclusion
Now, I dont recommend that you try this unless you feel pretty strong about your technique, but I have been getting some awesome performance out of what I have considered to be a pretty humble razor (I may have to get this thing re-plated). BTW, when I shimmed my other razors the performance jump was good but it wasnt this graphic. Of course, YMMV.
Anybody else tried this? What kind of performance did you get out of it?
Happy Shaving
