Game Changer cap modification for positive exposure

[AndyPanda]

I modified the cap on my 'Merica razor a few months ago to give it a positive blade exposure. I had already tried shims but I didn't care for the way it shaved with shims and I absolutely love the way it shaves now with the stock blade gap but positive exposure from the modified cap.

I've had a Game Changer 84p for a few months and it hasn't really grabbed me. Don't get me wrong, I love the quality and fit/finish etc. It just doesn't suit me. So, out of curiosity, I bought a complete 68p rather than just the base plate so I would have two caps and be able to modify one and keep the other stock. Here is a crude drawing of what I did and the four possible configurations I have now with the two base plates and two caps. Hope this drawing makes sense. The little yellow wedge on the blue cap - that represents the material I removed on my modified cap. A stock cap would be the blue area plus the little yellow wedge. And the colored lines represent the four different blade exposures possible.

So far I am really liking it. The modified 84p is aggressive (not quite R41 but close) and the modified 68p is very efficient while still being pretty tame.

 

[desertcat]

Cool! I've often wondered how the GC.84-P would shave with positive exposure. How'd you remove the material from the topcap?

 

[VerbaVolant]

Cool! I've often wondered how the GC.84-P would shave with positive exposure.

I always thought P in the GC84-P stands for Positive, as in positive exposure. Maybe I am wrong.

 

[AndyPanda]

Cool! I've often wondered how the GC.84-P would shave with positive exposure. How'd you remove the material from the topcap?

Carefully!

I've got a lot of experience doing this type of work (I make custom mouthpieces for saxophones etc.). I used a thick glass plate and wet/dry sandpaper up to 5000 grit and then micro mesh up to 12,000 grit and then buffing compound. But you don't need to polish it except for cosmetics - when I was testing it, I gradually removed material until I got the amount of positive exposure I was after and I would shave with it while it still had 400 grit sanding marks and it felt fine.

Can you tell that the one in front is the one I modified? You can feel the difference instantly with a blade in it The one in back has the 84p plate but you can see the square edge of the cap and the modified cap has less of that square edge.

 

[desertcat]

I always thought P in the GC84-P stands for Positive, as in positive exposure. Maybe I am wrong.

You might be correct, I actually never knew what that stood for. I thought I read somewhere that the exposure hovers around neutral.

 

[AndyPanda]

I always thought P in the GC84-P stands for Positive, as in positive exposure. Maybe I am wrong.

I've seen people say that but I don't think that is what it means - but I really don't know. Originally they marketed the 68p as "negative" but when I measure it, I find it to be pretty close to zero and not negative. But it isn't positive at all. The 84p only gets a little positive because of the wider blade gap.

The 84p is not quite as positive as a Lupo 72 IMO .... but my modified 68p is more positive than a Lupo 72 and the modified 84p is a little more positive than my Lupo 95.

 

[nemo]

Nice work! So you only modified one side?
I figure that's how you get the four configurations.

 

[AndyPanda]

You can feel that your 84p has positive exposure by putting an old blade in it (use an old blade because this test will damage the edge) and then rub a flat piece of plastic (I like to use the side of a white plastic Feather tuck) so the plastic is riding the cap and the safety bar and if you can feel the blade bite into the plastic, then it's positive. If the blade just touches the plastic but doesn't really bite it, then it's about zero/neutral and if the blade isn't even touching the plastic then you are negative.

but remember some blades are not as wide as others. Having a razor that is slightly negative or neutral is a good way to see which blades are wider than others. In the same razor you'll find some blades don't touch the plastic and another brand of blade will bite into the plastic etc. I was surprised at how different some of my blade brands were this way.

Here's a picture of what I mean using the feather plastic tuck to feel for blade exposure:

 

[AndyPanda]

Nice work! So you only modified one side?
I figure that's how you get the four configurations.

No I have two caps. One that's modified (both sides) and one that is not modified. However you are correct that when I was experimenting, I only did one side first so I could compare the shave between the two sides. I liked it so much I went ahead and did both sides. Then I ordered a second game changer so I could have the four options (and also as a sanity check so I can always go back to a stock config and confirm that I'm not just deluding myself that I made an improvement).

 

[GrizzlyCA]

I love my Gamechanger .84. I definitely want to hear how this works for you. I have the gc .84, .68, and Lupo.95. The .84 is still my favorite with a Kai. I think you have created instant blade feel and efficiency in a very nimble razor.
I like it!

 

[AndyPanda]

I've never tried the Kai blade but this way I'm able to get the extra blade exposure with regular blades

At some point I would be interested in having a couple of you guys try my modified cap - I'd be interested to see what you think compared to your stock cap. You guys will have more experience with the Game Changer than I do. I almost always choose my modified 'Merica or my R41 GS or my Masamune OC so I really never gave the Game Changer a lot of shave time... Someone with a lot of GC experience would be a better judge of whether my modified cap is a good thing or not.

 

[GrizzlyCA]

I've never tried the Kai blade but this way I'm able to get the extra blade exposure with regular blades

At some point I would be interested in having a couple of you guys try my modified cap - I'd be interested to see what you think compared to your stock cap. You guys will have more experience with the Game Changer than I do. I almost always choose my modified 'Merica or my R41 GS or my Masamune OC so I really never gave the Game Changer a lot of shave time... Someone with a lot of GC experience would be a better judge of whether my modified cap is a good thing or not.

Happy to give it a whirl. I am sure others would too. I am a year into this but shave daily for work.
If you have a Kai, give it a try (no pun intended). They are wider and while the first shave is not so sharp (think Astra sp), they are very sharp and smooth for me on shave 2-3
Please keep us posted. If you ever need a few Kai’s, shoot me a message and I can get you a pack. I have plenty

 

[sakaltras]

I had the same idea idea

But did not like the result as I'm more a steep angle shaver...

 

[AndyPanda]

I had the same idea idea

Great minds think alike alike

But did not like the result as I'm more a steep angle shaver...

I also prefer a razor that calls for a steep angle, that's why I like my 'Merica so much (I did the same sort of cap modification to the 'Merica)

 

[sakaltras]

Great minds think alike alike

I also prefer a razor that calls for a steep angle, that's why I like my 'Merica so much (I did the same sort of cap modification to the 'Merica)

My next idea was to shorten the teeth of a GC .84 plate. But before starting with this the Lupo has been released. I wonder if a GC with shortened teeth (thus more blade exposure) would be in the same league as the Lupo...

 

[spacemonkey42]

Wow, you cranked it up quite a bit! That's a great modification. Could we call yours the 84-extreme?

To the other point, the Game Changer 84-p has a positive exposure. Razorock/Italian Barber lists the specs as:

Blade Exposure: Positive (~0.0508mm more than .68-P plate)​

I did a test using a Perma Sharp blade in the 84-p and running the edge along card stock and the blade grabs easily so it is positive and I'd believe 0.05mm. (Blade exposure varies with the width of blade one is using, of course)

I did the same test with my 68-p plate and it just barely roughed up the edge of the card stock, so I would say it is hovering around neutral, perhaps just the tiniest touch of positive.

 

[AndyPanda]

Wow, you cranked it up quite a bit! That's a great modification. Could we call yours the 84-extreme?

To the other point, the Game Changer 84-p has a positive exposure. Razorock/Italian Barber lists the specs as:

Blade Exposure: Positive (~0.0508mm more than .68-P plate)​

I did a test using a Perma Sharp blade in the 84-p and running the edge along card stock and the blade grabs easily so it is positive and I'd believe 0.05mm. (Blade exposure varies with the width of blade one is using, of course)

I did the same test with my 68-p plate and it just barely roughed up the edge of the card stock, so I would say it is hovering around neutral, perhaps just the tiniest touch of positive.

Using that same test I had noticed that my Perma-Sharp blades give me slightly more exposure than some of my other blades. I have read some of the blade measurement threads/charts and I wonder if this varies from batch to batch because some of my blades that seem to give less exposure do not show up that way on the old measurement charts.

As I get older (my sister always reminds me it's better than the alternative) my face is getting folds and creases and looser skin and I just don't get on with razors that get their exposure by way of increased blade gap. I like to feel the blade on my skin but not have that wide gap underneath. That was what got me thinking about a 68p base with a modified cap (that and lusting for a Nodachi cap to try on my Masamune).

With the stock 84p (for me and my face) it would take me more passes and more irritation to get a close shave - compared to an R41 which I can get a very close shave in fewer passes and no irritation (I just have to focus and pay attention).

The 68p with modified cap gave me a close shave with fewer passes this morning and no irritation at all. It can bite if you're really careless with it, but compared to the attention required with an R41, the modified 68p was pretty carefree yet efficient.

 

[APBinNCA]

'

(that and lusting for a Nodachi cap to try on my Masamune).

This is literally the only reason that I haven’t purchase a GC, I have had the Nodachi for about a year. I really like these kinds of modifications though!

 

[AndyPanda]

I've been enjoying the modified Game Changer 68-P and getting really close shaves. But I have been finding it a little irritating how the baseplate completely hides the tabs and makes it difficult to remove the blade - at least for me with my fat fingers. I'm getting tempted to modify the base plate with slight beveled scallops to allow easier removal of the blade.

Something like this. Can anyone see any reason not to do something like this to the tab area of the plate?:

 

[Old Navy_1]

I have a GC 84-P and I never had an issue. With that said, I don't see any problems adding the 'scallop' cuts in the Baseplate. Just be cautious of the 'Alignment Pins' when you're doing it.

b/r

ON_1