Our DeLuxe finish combines the best of Rex Supply Co. super shave experience and the best of Razor Emporium’s Revamp Service. These stainless steel safety razors are enhanced by high mirror polish and plated with precious metal. Smoothing the machine finish of Marine Grade Stainless Steel increases the shave experience in smoothness and efficiency and adds value to this heirloom razor. As I mentioned previously, the Vikings Blade Crusader adjustable safety razor appears to me to be based on the same general design as the Parthenon and the Nostalgic, but each has their own tweak. The Crusader’s distinction is an “asymmetrical head” with a standard safety bar on one side and a scalloped safety bar on the other. The optimist in me thinks the different head side design could provide additional, subtle variables in the shave in addition to simply adjusting the blade gap. The cynic in me thinks the design could “cover up” uneven blade alignment due to poor engineering or manufacturing. All in all I give the razor a 9 out of 10 for performance and feel and 4/10 for presentation and finish. When you first hold The Ambassador XL you’ll immediately notice its quality. This double edge safety razor is manufactured from marine-grade stainless steel for maximum durability and ease-of-use. It is perfectly weighted and balanced and features an extra long “Sure Grip” handle that makes the razor easy to hold, even when wet. Materials and Finish – Made from 316L marine grade stainless steel for strength, durability and longevity which most stainless steel safety razors are made with. The stainless steel has a brushed finish.

The handle is about the same size as the standard Progress (shorter than the long-handle Progress or the Variant) but it’s deeply knurled handle provides an excellent grip. I find the weight and balance likewise excellent: the “heft” is there without getting cumbersome. Settings two to four are the only settings I need to use for now, which offer enough flexibility in terms of how many days growth I need to shave off. The Ambassador is infinitely adjustable, making it easy to find the best possible blade exposure for your skin. Just turn the integrated dial up or down to adjust the amount of blade gap for a milder or more aggressive shave. It is fully compatible with any double edge blade, giving you lots of options and combinations to “dial-in” a consistently perfect shaving experience. After just a few passes, you’ll find the razor glides across the skin almost effortlessly, while leaving behind a noticeably soft, clean and fully groomed path. I love using my Merkur 34C for a mild-medium shave and the Ambassador has a similar feel, only it’s a bit more weighty and offers more grip, which I really like. DeLuxe G: Polished and plated in hard acid 24K Gold to allow the gold’s deep yellow color to sparkle and more durable gold finish. 24K Gold is the purest form of Au at 99.9%. Cleaning of the razor would be similar to any gold jewelry; best carried out by a professional or specialized Gold cleaning products.

Serial Number – Rex Supply Co. has followed in Gillette’s footsteps and laser etched each model with its own personal serial number. The old Gillette dating system (2018 = N, 2019 = O, 2020 = P and R = 2021, etc.) has been used. Settings – The razor blade gap is adjusted via the adjustable knob under the razor head that has 6 settings in total. Users may also turn the dial to a half setting giving a total of 11 settings. Setting 1 is the mildest, and setting 6 is the most aggressive. A year after the Parker Variant was launched, Far-East manufacturer Ming Shi launched the Ming Shi 2000S adjustable safety razor. Qshave re-branded the 2000S as the Qshave Adjustable, making it a clone of a copy. The Ming Shi/Qshave clearly takes its inspiration from the Merkur Futur: Futur On Left, Qshave On Right

My usual shave routine with an adjustable razor is to start with a 3.5 for WTG and then switch to a 2.5 for ATG and touch up. Doing that with the Flexi for my first shave made me realize that I had to adjust that a little as the 3.5 shaved closer to the 2.5. Later when I compared shaving with both razors, I started with 4 on the Flexi and 3 to finish off. I found this to be the equivalent to my usual 3.5 and 2.5 on my Ambassador. As far as shave quality, I had to admit that it was a tie. both razors were very comfortable and efficient to use, and I ended up with a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS for both.

Versatility distinguishes an adjustable safety razor vs non adjustable models. They can be used to not only tailor a shave to your specific circumstances, they can also more easily mitigate other variables in the shave that might otherwise cause problems. Transitioning to an adjustable razor may take a little time to fully appreciate its capabilities, but I think it’s worth the effort. See: How To Use An Adjustable Razor Most Effectively Other Safety Razors That Are Adjustable In Some Fashion DeLuxe P: Polished to a dazzling luster with super smooth High Mirror Finish. Marine Grade Stainless Steel leaves a machined finish, our DeLuxe P smooths the metal to create an incredibly smooth and bright finish with no plating needed. Dimensions & Weight – Handle 79mm long x 13mm diameter, head width 44.2mm, overall length 88.7 mm and weight 110g.

I'm very happy to hear so many customers are loving their Ambassador razor - it really makes all the work worth it. We did lots of experimentation before ever releasing a razor, had many prototypes and "test shavers" use them - but there's nothing like making a few hundred of something and hearing from your customers on what they think. Even Gillette produced many versions of the Toggle and Fatboy as they were perfecting their adjustable design - those early models today are collector's items. Their market research is precisely why they abandoned the bottom adjustment dial and made the toggle lever bigger. This may take some practice, and most adjustable razors do take a little time to get used to and find the best setting. Blade Replacement – As mentioned this is a two-part razor which is slightly easier when changing blades than a three-part and slightly harder than a butterfly type. I tried out various settings and found setting 3 was the highest I needed to use. Setting 1 or 2 was good enough, even for three or so days of growth.

The finish is NOT what I would expect at this razor's price point. Not what you should expect either. There are various tiny dings in the finish. It looks rushed is all I can say. 4/10. Unlike an adjustable razor like the Merkur Futur, it is very good at offering blade gap options between mild and aggressive, giving almost any person a level that can work for them. Although visually quite similar there are some aspects of the 2000S that set it apart from the Futur. This razor has a wider range of adjustment compared to the Futur, especially at the low end. And as you might expect at the price point, the Ming Shi/Qshave does “cut a few corners” in manufacturing. For example, the dial markings are painted on instead of etched in like the Futur. Some users report the printed dial numbers wear off after extended use. I received my Pearl Flexi last week and was quite impressed with it. I was so impressed that I pulled out my REX Ambassador to compare shaves with the two. Both of these razors are essentially homages to the great Gibbs #17 and they are modern CNC machined razors. There is another, the Homelike Taiga, which I have test shaved but was not impressed enough with to buy (sorry @Clouds, it just did not do it for me). For the Taiga, the shave was very good, however the pieces for the head were hard to align and easy to loosen. The Ambassador is infinitely adjustable, making it easy to find the best possible blade exposure for your skin. Just turn the integrated dial up for down to adjust the amount of blade gap for a milder or more aggressive shave. It is fully compatible with any double edge blade, giving you lots of options and combinations to “dial-in” a consistently perfect shaving experience. After just a few passes, you’ll find the razor glides across the skin almost effortlessly, while leaving behind a noticeably soft, clean and fully groomed path.