A shock absorber comprising: a pressure tube; a piston slidably disposed within the pressure tube, said piston dividing said pressure tube into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, said piston having a first face and an opposing second face; a pair of fluid passage sets (42, 43) formed through the piston, a first one of the fluid passage sets isolable at the first face and a second one of the fluid passage sets isolable at the second face; a plurality of passages (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43'") in each fluid passage set (42, 43) each passage (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43"') having a passage flow area which is different from the passage flow areas of the other passages (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43"') in said fluid passage set (42, 43) and each plurality of passages (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43"') comprises a first fluid passage (42", 42"', 43", 43'") having a smaller cross-sectional area than a second fluid passage (42', 43') and said second fluid passage (42', 43') having the largest cross-sectional area of said plurality of passages (42, 43); a pair of blow-off discs (44, 58) each operably sealing one of the fluid passage sets (42, 43), including a first blow-off disc in displaceable contact with the first face and a second blow-off disc in displaceable contact with the second face; wherein a first sealing land disposed on said first face of said piston, said first sealing land fully encircling said first fluid passage (42", 42"') of said plurality of passages in said first one of said fluid passage sets (42', 42", 42'"); a second sealing land disposed on said first face of said piston, said second sealing land fully encircling said second fluid passage of said plurality of passages in said first one of said fluid passage sets (42', 42", 42"'); said first blow-off disc engaging each of said first and second sealing lands; and wherein a fluid pressure acting on one of the first face and the second face operably acts through one of the fluid passage sets (42, 43) to initially angularly displace and subsequently to fully open one of the pair of blow-off discs (44, 58); characterized in that said area encircled by said second sealing land is the largest area encircled by any of said sealing lands. a pressure tube; a piston slidably disposed within the pressure tube, said piston dividing said pressure tube into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, said piston having a first face and an opposing second face; a pair of fluid passage sets (42, 43) formed through the piston, a first one of the fluid passage sets isolable at the first face and a second one of the fluid passage sets isolable at the second face; a plurality of passages (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43'") in each fluid passage set (42, 43) each passage (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43"') having a passage flow area which is different from the passage flow areas of the other passages (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43"') in said fluid passage set (42, 43) and each plurality of passages (42', 42", 42"', 43', 43", 43"') comprises a first fluid passage (42", 42"', 43", 43'") having a smaller cross-sectional area than a second fluid passage (42', 43') and said second fluid passage (42', 43') having the largest cross-sectional area of said plurality of passages (42, 43); a pair of blow-off discs (44, 58) each operably sealing one of the fluid passage sets (42, 43), including a first blow-off disc in displaceable contact with the first face and a second blow-off disc in displaceable contact with the second face; wherein a first sealing land disposed on said first face of said piston, said first sealing land fully encircling said first fluid passage (42", 42"') of said plurality of passages in said first one of said fluid passage sets (42', 42", 42'"); a second sealing land disposed on said first face of said piston, said second sealing land fully encircling said second fluid passage of said plurality of passages in said first one of said fluid passage sets (42', 42", 42"'); said first blow-off disc engaging each of said first and second sealing lands; and wherein a fluid pressure acting on one of the first face and the second face operably acts through one of the fluid passage sets (42, 43) to initially angularly displace and subsequently to fully open one of the pair of blow-off discs (44, 58); characterized in that