Moonglum, Just to clear up a basic point in our discussion, I think/thought that originally you were claiming that LOWERING the pivot point would.... etc. But in your last post, you are talking about RAISING the pivot point. In the latter case, the set VTF will go up, because your shoving more of the total mass onto the cantilever/stylus which must support it. So, to summarize my position, move pivot point down in the vertical direction and the set VTF goes down. Move pivot point up in the vertical, and the set VTF goes up. And this is for a static balanced tonearm. For a dynamically balanced tonearm, one with springs, etc, to set VTF, the effect is largely obviated.
A very simple analogy is to think of two guys carrying a sofa up a staircase. Which guy is bearing most of the weight? The guy on the bottom.
Testpilot, You wrote, "Any adjustment to the vertical position of the pivot that results in the pivot interface and the stylus/record not being inline will result in a lowered measured force." I don't know what the phrase "pivot inteface and the stylus/record not being in line" means, but I do believe that moving the pivot down vs up does not have the same effect on VTF. Maybe if I better understood your lingo, I would agree.