REX Ambassador: My thoughts.

Thank you for the review and pics, its a good looking razor but for the price of $210 with future price of $250 the finish should not look like that and also other people mentioned besides the finishing problem there was a problem of closing the razor from 1st go with the blade, I think they said the tabs didn't aligned good so they had to fiddle a bit. All of this is fine if the razor was around 150 price range but not for 210-250...

Was going to order one and take advantage of the still available discount but for now I will have to back off, thanks for the honest review.

No problem, thanks for taking the time to read it. I foresee some people selling the razor based on the finish alone not long after receiving them. So if you're curious to try it for cheaper you might want to keep an eye on the BST's for one within the next month. I guess we will have to wait and see if the performance will outweigh the finish on this razor enough for people to keep them. My wife (and me too) liked it, so it's gonna stay.

I mentioned in another thread that I shaved with mine this morning for the first time and had a great shave. Used 3 and 5 (out of 6 adjustment levels). I like the "machined" look, as I have a Blackbird that is unpolished and love it. Had some trouble getting the blade (Astra) onto the cap--the bars were ever-so-slightly too big for the blade to just settle on them, so I had to push the blade on. Then had to kind of pry them off after the shave. So I'll see if that's a consistent problem, or only with this particular blade (or brand of blades). Nice grip with the handle. I like longer handles, but this looks exactly the same length as a Fatboy.

I didn't have much of an issue with setting the blade on mine so it could be certain blades maybe. Will have to try another blade next time to see this for myself as well. I'm glad you liked the razor too, I'm with you on the performance.

I don't understand "the shave is all that matters" in this context. The reason people are spending $185-$300 for boutique stainless/titanium razors in the first place is precisely because they've decided that materials, precision, presentation, and exclusivity have value, or to put it more clearly, the shave is not all that matters. Y'all know this razor in chromed Zamak would shave exactly the same (and I'd be the first in line). Anyway, I'm pleased and not at all surprised the shave is getting a thumbs up, tis a very solid design.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

I don't understand "the shave is all that matters" in this context. The reason people are spending $185-$300 for boutique stainless/titanium razors in the first place is precisely because they've decided that materials, precision, presentation, and exclusivity have value, or to put it more clearly, the shave is not all that matters. Y'all know this razor in chromed Zamak would shave exactly the same.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

It surely would and unfortunately that is a downfall of pre-ordering a product, because you can't judge it regardless of who is making it or where it's coming from until you have it in your hands. The point here is that yeah the cosmetic flaws are certainly a huge drawback for most (not all), but that didn't take away from the fact that it gave a great shave. Now, is it too expensive for what you're getting? Well I guess that's up to the people who purchased it to decide once they get it in their hands.

Agreed.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Another recent discovery with further observation: Please keep in mind, I am in no way trying to knock on the  razor and/or Razor Emporium but instead sharing all the Pros and Cons that any potential buyer deserves to know as it is not an inexpensive razor. There's not much on this product out there yet as it is quite new so I'm here to help with your decision before pulling the trigger.

I started to look at it with a more observant eye and noticed that the machining is a bit of lower quality (as shown in the photo below). You will see that the lather catchers are not straight at all, a noticeable machining slip is quite visible on the bottom left catcher (try to zoom in for detail).

A side note is that I have not looked at this razor using a loupe or magnifying glass this is all visible with the naked eye.

I wonder is either the CNC machine skipping or its not using the proper diamond bits, looks like the machine has small jitter when going from one direction to another

Hey Everyone - Matt here

Thank you all so much for the feedback. It is truly appreciated and I have been reading lots of reviews on facebook and some of the forums.

This razor project has been a long time coming - and it was certainly a big project to take on for our first razor. But we also wanted to make a splash into the razor world and the thought of being the Nth company with a 3 piece razor wasn't very appealing. We certainly have plans for razors like that but we wanted to do something big to get the ball rolling.

There have been learning lessons along the way but I'm still confident that we achieved something that no other USA razor maker has ever taken on in decades - no small feat.

My post here isn't a defense of anything - the product speaks for itself. I am confident that the 1000 razors we produced with this run will not be the last, instead the first of many more.

PRICE
$249 - that sounds like a lot of money. And it certainly is. The price is in no way arbitrary. It is based solely on the costs to produce the product, make it available for wholesale purchase, and of course make a reasonable profit. All while being done in the USA. All while being milled and lathed out of stainless steel by CNC equipment.

There are 8 machined components on this razor and 2 springs. That is 10 parts total - more than 3x the amount of parts on a $150-$185 stainless steel boutique razor from other companies out there. And while a few of those companies can offer their products to other retailers for wholesale (ikon, above the tie, pils, rockwell), many cannot. This is a MAJOR influence in the price, but also the distribution. We don't want the Ambassador or any other REX products to be exclusively for Razor Emporium. In fact we are already getting requests from retailers around the world to carry it - and that will be possible. I don't want supply issues to be a hindrance of availability. I don't want people to have to turn to ebay to get these or wait for production runs.

FINISHING
The components we received from our local AZ machine shop were generally very good. This company has made parts for aerospace, auto and medical industries. This razor certainly put them to the test. We had to create special fixtures to hold the parts and it was challenging to say the least. I understand now why many other companies (rockwell, timeless, charcoal, ikon) have never taken on milling parts but rather chose to cast them. It is extremely difficult and even though things are "CNC" there can be variations. It still takes an operator to make things happen correctly.

We did the finishing in our own shop using both automated tumbling and manual deburring / polishing. Myself and my crew are used to working around vintage Gillette brass parts - learning to finish Stainless steel took some adjustments. As of today we have shipped out around 150 of the pre order razors. There are still 850 razor assemblies to finish that will sell in the coming weeks / months. Overall most people are very happy with the razor in its fit and finish. There have been some comments of small flaws and we will work to make sure that these are corrected before anymore razor leave our shop. We tried to balance the semi matte / gloss finish with smoothing out any marks - if you polish too much you end up with a mirror surface - and if you mirror one thing you have to mirror everything. Bottom line- your feedback was heard and appreciated.

PACKAGING
We wanted something that served as both a nice retail box and possible travel box. We also wanted to have it made in the USA and not feel cheezy or low quality. The box we came up with was simple and effective. We had the printing done local and did embossing, folding, gluing all in our own shop. While some companies give a metal or chipboard box with their razor, this wasn't possible for us because most of all this type of packaging comes from Mexico or China. We wanted American made. The box I loved from a local company would have added $50 to the retail price and I just couldn't justify that. Instead we will be offering a deluxe leather travel case for this soon. Some people have commented that the box was tight- yes it is snug by design. It became more snug when we added the lifetime warranty card  - a decision made in the last few weeks after box cutting dies were already created. I think you'll find with that card removed the box is much easier to pull apart. And don't forget that the first Gillette razor came in a white cardboard box without even a logo (1903).

PERFORMANCE
I've been hearing rave reviews that this razor has already become many people's favorite. I think the geometry of the blade and weight is certainly something pretty special. It is intuitive and easy to use - I am so glad that people are enjoying it! We had many beta testers along the way and we are so glad that the end result is a razor that is worthy of the Rex name. It is truly one of my favorites to use at home.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This is our first offering of our first razor. No this is not a prototype. We did create 7 prototypes over 3 years but there is something very different about making 1 of something and 1000. To think that we would have something of this complexity done 100% flawless on our first go is setting the bar very, very high. Gillette didn't release their first TTO until 30 years of making 3 pieces, and their first adjustable 50 years after the first double ring. We produced something that I am proud of and I think will be well remembered. We have already thought of improvements to the design that can aid in manufacturing, and are even considering metal injection molding a few of the really tricky and costly parts to produce (the cap alone consists of 1/2 of all machining time.) But these learning lessons only happen when the rubber meets the road and you take a chance and do something instead of talking about it. Honestly I was tired of hearing people ask if there would ever be an American made adjustable razor again- so I decided to make it happen.

The goal would be for a second round of razors to come out sometime next year that could possibly have a retail price of $199 or even lower. We don't want REX to be a boutique brand -  rather a brand of quality American made shaving accessories. Apple released their iPhone years ago to much acclaim but continues to put out newer and better versions all the time. The Ambassador is a razor design and it will continue to evolve naturally. If we waited for the perfect time to do something - it would never happen because perfection is unobtainable. But in striving for it we reach excellence instead.

Thank you all for your feedback. You are the reason why we do what we do. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions comments or suggestions.

Regards,

Matt

*two thumbs up*

Hey Everyone - Matt here

Thank you all so much for the feedback. It is truly appreciated and I have been reading lots of reviews on facebook and some of the forums.

This razor project has been a long time coming - and it was certainly a big project to take on for our first razor. But we also wanted to make a splash into the razor world and the thought of being the Nth company with a 3 piece razor wasn't very appealing. We certainly have plans for razors like that but we wanted to do something big to get the ball rolling.

There have been learning lessons along the way but I'm still confident that we achieved something that no other USA razor maker has ever taken on in decades - no small feat.

My post here isn't a defense of anything - the product speaks for itself. I am confident that the 1000 razors we produced with this run will not be the last, instead the first of many more.

PRICE
$249 - that sounds like a lot of money. And it certainly is. The price is in no way arbitrary. It is based solely on the costs to produce the product, make it available for wholesale purchase, and of course make a reasonable profit. All while being done in the USA. All while being milled and lathed out of stainless steel by CNC equipment.

There are 8 machined components on this razor and 2 springs. That is 10 parts total - more than 3x the amount of parts on a $150-$185 stainless steel boutique razor from other companies out there. And while a few of those companies can offer their products to other retailers for wholesale (ikon, above the tie, pils, rockwell), many cannot. This is a MAJOR influence in the price, but also the distribution. We don't want the Ambassador or any other REX products to be exclusively for Razor Emporium. In fact we are already getting requests from retailers around the world to carry it - and that will be possible. I don't want supply issues to be a hindrance of availability. I don't want people to have to turn to ebay to get these or wait for production runs.

FINISHING
The components we received from our local AZ machine shop were generally very good. This company has made parts for aerospace, auto and medical industries. This razor certainly put them to the test. We had to create special fixtures to hold the parts and it was challenging to say the least. I understand now why many other companies (rockwell, timeless, charcoal, ikon) have never taken on milling parts but rather chose to cast them. It is extremely difficult and even though things are "CNC" there can be variations. It still takes an operator to make things happen correctly.

We did the finishing in our own shop using both automated tumbling and manual deburring / polishing. Myself and my crew are used to working around vintage Gillette brass parts - learning to finish Stainless steel took some adjustments. As of today we have shipped out around 150 of the pre order razors. There are still 850 razor assemblies to finish that will sell in the coming weeks / months. Overall most people are very happy with the razor in its fit and finish. There have been some comments of small flaws and we will work to make sure that these are corrected before anymore razor leave our shop. We tried to balance the semi matte / gloss finish with smoothing out any marks - if you polish too much you end up with a mirror surface - and if you mirror one thing you have to mirror everything. Bottom line- your feedback was heard and appreciated.

PACKAGING
We wanted something that served as both a nice retail box and possible travel box. We also wanted to have it made in the USA and not feel cheezy or low quality. The box we came up with was simple and effective. We had the printing done local and did embossing, folding, gluing all in our own shop. While some companies give a metal or chipboard box with their razor, this wasn't possible for us because most of all this type of packaging comes from Mexico or China. We wanted American made. The box I loved from a local company would have added $50 to the retail price and I just couldn't justify that. Instead we will be offering a deluxe leather travel case for this soon. Some people have commented that the box was tight- yes it is snug by design. It became more snug when we added the lifetime warranty card  - a decision made in the last few weeks after box cutting dies were already created. I think you'll find with that card removed the box is much easier to pull apart. And don't forget that the first Gillette razor came in a white cardboard box without even a logo (1903).

PERFORMANCE
I've been hearing rave reviews that this razor has already become many people's favorite. I think the geometry of the blade and weight is certainly something pretty special. It is intuitive and easy to use - I am so glad that people are enjoying it! We had many beta testers along the way and we are so glad that the end result is a razor that is worthy of the Rex name. It is truly one of my favorites to use at home.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This is our first offering of our first razor. No this is not a prototype. We did create 7 prototypes over 3 years but there is something very different about making 1 of something and 1000. To think that we would have something of this complexity done 100% flawless on our first go is setting the bar very, very high. Gillette didn't release their first TTO until 30 years of making 3 pieces, and their first adjustable 50 years after the first double ring. We produced something that I am proud of and I think will be well remembered. We have already thought of improvements to the design that can aid in manufacturing, and are even considering metal injection molding a few of the really tricky and costly parts to produce (the cap alone consists of 1/2 of all machining time.) But these learning lessons only happen when the rubber meets the road and you take a chance and do something instead of talking about it. Honestly I was tired of hearing people ask if there would ever be an American made adjustable razor again- so I decided to make it happen.

The goal would be for a second round of razors to come out sometime next year that could possibly have a retail price of $199 or even lower. We don't want REX to be a boutique brand -  rather a brand of quality American made shaving accessories. Apple released their iPhone years ago to much acclaim but continues to put out newer and better versions all the time. The Ambassador is a razor design and it will continue to evolve naturally. If we waited for the perfect time to do something - it would never happen because perfection is unobtainable. But in striving for it we reach excellence instead.

Thank you all for your feedback. You are the reason why we do what we do. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions comments or suggestions.

Regards,

Matt

Thanks Matt.

Folks, Matt's a great vendor and I've gone back and forth with him a few times. He's always been transparent and prompt with replies. Bear in mind that this a 'first' generation product (one of many I hope!) and some unique personalities is always going to be present in each individual razor. I feel that's part of the charm and authenticity of product.

I find it refreshing that our members can have a good CIVIL discourse and that the manufacturer can respond in kind without any censoring or otherwise influence form the moderation team (a mod team full of volunteers who I find always levies an even hand without bias).

Cheers to the mod team for allowing and fostering relevant discussion with minimal censoring and lack of bias/shrilling.
Cheers to the members who can maintain a civil tone.
Cheers to the vendor who took the time to hear our concerns and respond in a professional manner and expressing their vision.

TLDR - Thanks for being awesome guys!