Razor Blade Shims For Older Razors

[KcHighLife]

Hello everyone! I have a question that I need some direction on please. I am thinking of trying some of my older razors with shims to come closer to what actually would have been available around the timeframe of the razor.
Ok, so I have a few question. One, will one modern blade shim and a blade for shaving equate to about what an older blade would have been?
Two, do I just snip off the cutting edge and use the rest as a shim?
I have seen this discussed but, I can't see to locate it now. Thanks in advance to any help you can give.

[man00ver]

Chris, I don't think the antique blades were twice as thick as a modern example, so adding a shim is not likely to duplicate the experience, exactly. Another difference will be that the thickness would have been uniform through the entire antique blank, providing more stiffness all the way to the edges. But a shim will give you more gap, and back-in-the-day Gillette realized that some people enjoyed that; they used to advise you to adjust your single-ring by loosening the knob a bit to get more aggression.

I cut the edges of an old blade off with scissors to make my shims.

[KcHighLife]

I almost PMed you with this question, LOL! I decided it might be a good chance for others as well as myself to learn a little so I posted here.

Are you cutting just the shaving edge for your shims?
I had never thought to loosen the knob on my single ring, interesting.

[Luc]

Older blades where thicker but not as thick. Some tried the "cut the old blade" before and it "worked". Was it like it was? I got no idea, I never tried those older blades. A modern blade perfectly works so I never went that far with my old type razors...

[KcHighLife]

A modern blade perfectly works so I never went that far with my old type razors...

I know exactly what you mean and I never have either. I just thought why not?

On the other hand some of my older razors are pretty agressive as it is. Tuckaway, Single Ring. Was thinking I could try it in the Ball End Old Type or maybe even the New.

[KcHighLife]

[QUOTE=man00ver;4376237]Chris, I don't think the antique blades were twice as thick as a modern example[QUOTE]

You are going to make me pull out the micrometer aren't you?

[man00ver]

Are you cutting just the shaving edge for your shims?

I cut'em notch-to-notch, leaving just a punched rectangular strip as the shim.

[KcHighLife]

I cut'em notch-to-notch, leaving just a punched rectangular strip as the shim.

Interesting. I would have thought you would want it as close to the edge as possible.

[ia_james]

But a shim will give you more gap, and back-in-the-day Gillette realized that some people enjoyed that; they used to advise you to adjust your single-ring by loosening the knob a bit to get more aggression.

I remain convinced that the advice to shave with the handle loosened was a practical joke gone horribly awry. It resulted in the most blood loss of my life that didn't involve automobile or motorcycle being bent or broken.

[KcHighLife]

I remain convinced that the advice to shave with the handle loosened was a practical joke gone horribly awry. It resulted in the most blood loss of my life that didn't involve automobile or motorcycle being bent or broken.

Ouch! I can see where it would have to be ever so slight. Barely noticable even! To just make the bade start to come up. Too loose and the blade would move. Or if it was a little too much and your fingers loosened it while shaving causing the blade to move.
Of course this is all guessing on my part because I have yet to try it.

[Gordy2]

I have created kind of a shim using a cut piece of thin styrofoam wrap that QCS uses on their soaps. I use it under the blade when using my Feather SS razor. I cut it a bit smaller than the blade and it forces the blade up just enough to give me a regular normal type shave instead of using other methods such as head flat against the skin. It works quite well for me.

[KcHighLife]

I have created kind of a shim using a cut piece of thin styrofoam wrap that QCS uses on their soaps. I use it under the blade when using my Feather SS razor. I cut it a bit smaller than the blade and it forces the blade up just enough to give me a regular normal type shave instead of using other methods such as head flat against the skin. It works quite well for me.

I have yet to try QCS soaps so, I'm not exactly sure how thick you mean. Is it similar to the stuff that some use to ship with at times? If I am thinking of the same stuff, that seems a bit thick to me.
Picture?

[man00ver]

I remain convinced that the advice to shave with the handle loosened was a practical joke gone horribly awry. It resulted in the most blood loss of my life that didn't involve automobile or motorcycle being bent or broken.

Apparently, loosening the knob was a pretty common practice (though I'd keep it under a quarter-turn, myself, if I wasn't using a shim instead). In fact, the packaging on one of my vintage carbon-steel blades (I can't find it at the moment, and don't remember which one) boasted of its sharpness and advised the user to "tighten it down."

[man00ver]

Interesting. I would have thought you would want it as close to the edge as possible.

Since I'm only trying to improve the gap between the cap and base, and don't expect to actually thicken the blade, just a strip inserted at the posts seems to do the job for me!

[KcHighLife]

Since I'm only trying to improve the gap between the cap and base, and don't expect to actually thicken the blade, just a strip inserted at the posts seems to do the job for me!

Makes sense to me John. The next time one of my blades gives out I'll make a shim. I'll let yiu know what comes of it.

Anyone else have any pointers?

[Gordy2]

I have yet to try QCS soaps so, I'm not exactly sure how thick you mean. Is it similar to the stuff that some use to ship with at times? If I am thinking of the same stuff, that seems a bit thick to me.
Picture?

The foam is only about an 1/8th of an inch or so. (sent you PM)

[KcHighLife]

The foam is only about an 1/8th of an inch or so. (sent you PM)

Thank you very much Gil! I think I have some of that. Seems that would somewhat make the blade a little more stiff too. I am curious enough now to try this as well.