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Rex Ambassador Review
- Thread starter Dave in KY
- Start date
Date: Monday September 3rd
Razor: Rex Ambassador (Setting 3.5)
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (4)
Brush: Paladin 26mm Harlequin Chief
Soap: Speick Shave Stick
Aftershave 1: Humphrey's Alcoholado Maravilla
Aftershave 2: Speick Shave Lotion
In yesterdays shave I knew I felt a bite in chin area but didn't realize how strong a bite until later. Pic below showing the 2 spots this morning before shave.
Regardless I decide to press on to the next setting of 3.5 with care. Got a nice lather going and my 1st 2 strokes get a bite where I NEVER have an issue. I have a skin condition that makes the area around my mouth tender at times but never do I have a problem on the side burn area. Stopped to take a pic when it happened.
At this point I dial it back down to 2.5 to finish the pass which had no other issues other then reopening yesterdays 2 spots. I thought of abandoning the razor for the rest of the shave and change to another but opted to press on. For subsequent passes I dial it to 2 and try to resurrect the shave. Finish my passes and go with the Maravilla 70 although I knew the sting of the heavy alcohol would be there and then topped it off with the Speick AS.Have asimilar shave to the 1st day. Feels nice but I know the stubble won't stay at bay all day.
Final Thoughts: I wanted to "like" this razor and it is a fine and very well made tool. The quality is extremely nice. In the end we all know that what works for 1 person doesn't for someone else. I love my 6s,6c,Karve with C and D plates and my Timeless .68 Open Comb. I post that so you know while I don't prefer real aggressive razors I get great shaves from these without the biting this one presented me. I'm comparing to when I 1st got my current razors, not after dialing them in. With more time could I dial in and get more acceptable closer shaves from the Rex on a 2-2.5 setting where it didn't seem to bite. No doubt I could, although I question whether they would be long lasting close shaves for me and others I have didn't require me to think it that hard. So in the end This razor is not for me. That said in may be a Holy Grail razor for others. I personally want to again thank @GlazedBoker for his generous spirit to multiple times now share his razors for lengths of time (Trusting others and being without it himself) so others can have a chance to try a piece of equipment that they may never be able to afford or at least be able to know it is the one for them before shelling out the entry price of purchase which isn't cheap by any means. Gus I applaud you and am glad to have your friendship.
Hope this review doesn't come across as a knock on the razor. Just my honest feeling about my experience. Clearly Robert @ShavePastor was VERY happy with his results so as to almost immediately purchase one himself. So those in line I encourage you not to feel my results will be yours. I've seen people that saw 1 persons perspective of a razor want to bow out of it based on what they read and after being encouraged to see for themselves they were pleasantly surprised that it DID indeed work for them regardless of what they read. Razor has been cleaned and sterilized in alcohol and then replaced in packaging exactly as I received it. There are 2 samples of soap and 4 tucks of blades in the box that I didn't use. I added a tuck of Pol Silver SI and Rapira Platinum Lux so there is a nice selection of other things to sample if you like as well. I will mail to @Graydog Tuesday.
Gus
I appreciate your honest take on it my friend. Sometimes things just don’t work out the same. And yes, YMMV is the rule in most of these shave evaluations. Excellent, excellent take on your part.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
So have you ordered it yet??
I really have no desire for this one thanks for the reviews on it Dave.
My experiences with the Rex were absolutely great! It was very smooth & comfortable in the 2.5---3.5 settings. Even more so than the Karve D plate.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Feel free to add your posts/full review here Robert. At least 2 others in the pass around will be reviewing it too.
Yeah, but it'll be a while. We're much further down the list than you were, LOL.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Um, you were but Graydog was #3 and should get it today.
Nice!
A bump for the thread. I hadn’t used the Rex in some time and decided to have a shave with it today. No fuss and no muss shave. A very comfortable and efficient shave that left me BBS in 2.5 passes with hardly any irritation to speak of. Started off on 4 and finished on 2 without a single issue. Everytime I use it it just reminds me of how good and robust this razor really is. Substantial feeling razor but, it’s properly balanced in the hands with excellent tactile grip on the handle that the knurling provides. Ease of maneuverability is up there with some of the better ones that I’ve used and build quality is top notch. Maintenance and clean up with this razor is a breeze. If I had to say a minor thing that I notice with it is that when I complete a stroke/pass, there’s usually not enough residual slickness that is left behind. So in my experience I never go over a spot twice without a quick touch of lather. Besides taking off the whiskers, it also removes all semblance of lather and leaves nothing behind. Again, that’s just me. And in reality, I’m just nitpicking here with the Rex. Just an excellent tool that gets the job done smoothly and efficiently.
Yes, it's an incredible shaver in my opinion that is super smooth & super efficient in the right settings for my face.
Great razor for sure.
Sharp's
0
Isn't that what it's all about? Glad you had a great shave.
\n\nIndeed.... ?
Revive a thread that has gone dormant for quite some time. The original poster is no longer a member here ( just found that out not to long ago) and a shame really, as the man provided a wealth of info to multiple threads here in this forum. Plus, he’s a decent human being and a good friend. He’ll be missed here....
The shave was so good that it felt kind of boring. I mean 3 full passes even though I was practically done in 2 and I had to use up more lather that I had made. Phenomenal shaver that gives exquisite results regardless if one has a days worth or a full weeks growth of whiskers. The Rex delivers consistently excellent shave results like a Timex Eco-Drive watch. Truly a wonderful creation with masterfully done components of precision. Yeah, I like it a lot. Is it the end all be all razor for everyone? Nope as there are quite a few that experienced inferior shaves compared to other razors (high end or not) in their possession. And we know of the issues from the earlier models with finish, fitment and blade alignment. It was a hit or miss beginning for the Rex. Still, for me it is as good an adjustable as anything else out there. Those quality issues have been addressed for the most part and the newer versions are rock solid in overall terms of quality and shave performance. Expensive? Oh yeah, no doubt about it. Is it worth it? For you, I don’t know but, for me totally. Great day and shaves to all...
The shave was so good that it felt kind of boring. I mean 3 full passes even though I was practically done in 2 and I had to use up more lather that I had made. Phenomenal shaver that gives exquisite results regardless if one has a days worth or a full weeks growth of whiskers. The Rex delivers consistently excellent shave results like a Timex Eco-Drive watch. Truly a wonderful creation with masterfully done components of precision. Yeah, I like it a lot. Is it the end all be all razor for everyone? Nope as there are quite a few that experienced inferior shaves compared to other razors (high end or not) in their possession. And we know of the issues from the earlier models with finish, fitment and blade alignment. It was a hit or miss beginning for the Rex. Still, for me it is as good an adjustable as anything else out there. Those quality issues have been addressed for the most part and the newer versions are rock solid in overall terms of quality and shave performance. Expensive? Oh yeah, no doubt about it. Is it worth it? For you, I don’t know but, for me totally. Great day and shaves to all...
It’s not the king of razors but, damn is it good. I know that the far majority of wet shavers are frugal and especially so on this forum but, if you want Made in the USA stamped on your product and support American business entrepreneurs in keeping this great country moving, the Rex Ambassador is totally worth the investment. Great shaver, awesome knurling (the best knurling on a handle I’ve ever felt) and quality construction backed by a real solid individual/manufacturer.
Oh another thing, the Ethos Vanilla Safi soap is freakin bonkers. Scent is gorgeous and performance to match. Best gourmand soap scent in my collection.
Oh another thing, the Ethos Vanilla Safi soap is freakin bonkers. Scent is gorgeous and performance to match. Best gourmand soap scent in my collection.