Shimming for Less Aggressiveness?

I'm going to ask a question that reveals some of my engineering ignorance: is it possible to shim a DE razor somehow to make it less aggressive?

I'm going to ask a question that reveals some of my engineering ignorance: is it possible to shim a DE razor somehow to make it less aggressive?

Instead of putting the shim between the blade and the base plate, put it between the blade and top cap...

I'm going to ask a question that reveals some of my engineering ignorance: is it possible to shim a DE razor somehow to make it less aggressive?

Instead of putting the shim between the blade and the base plate, put it between the blade and top cap...

+1  this is supposed to work, but I have never tried it, myself.

Can’t imagine any shim will lessen aggression.  Shim under the blade widens gap.  Shim over blade widens gap.  I’ve shimmed under blade and it does indeed increase aggression but I have never tried shimming over the blade.  The blade won’t change its relationship to the bar, thus I don’t see it becoming milder.

Is it possible it akin to changing the attack angle presuming one maintained the identical handle angle thru well developed technique discipline?

Can’t imagine any shim will lessen aggression.  Shim under the blade widens gap.  Shim over blade widens gap.  I’ve shimmed under blade and it does indeed increase aggression but I have never tried shimming over the blade.  The blade won’t change its relationship to the bar, thus I don’t see it becoming milder.

Shimming over the blade does widen the gap, but it also reduces exposure.  This image may help clarify:



The blade exposure 



and blade gap



images from this Tatara Razors web page my break it down more simply.  In either image, imagine the head moving straight up.


PS  Sorry for all the edits.  I repeatedly fat-fingered the wrong key.

I doubt that shimming over the blade and below the top cap will reduce any aggression. I fully understand shimming to gain a bit more blade gap to achieve a more aggressive shave performance.

I believe the only way for shimming above the blade hereby raising the top cap means you will have to ride the cap while shaving. That might reduce some of the aggressiveness. Riding the guard with the top shimmed will have no effect at all.

Thanks for all the answers, I appreciate them.

So called "clamp distance" is basically engineerspeak and it is related to hone angle which is less than 20 degrees (for the blade), but once you factor in user error, i.e., cone of dispersion.......well, blade gap & exposure rule. Everything else is merely nonessential "sizzle" and no steak. That's why I use a Tech and have loads of cash for where it counts.....loose women.