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The Flexi-Rex debate: another perspective

So, I’ll begin with acknowledging that the Rex Ambassador is, by far, my favorite razor. Yup, I like it more than my WR2 1.25. A lot more. I also very much favor adjustable razors. I usually alternate between the Rex, my Ascension Twist Adjustable DOC, my Fatboy and my Slim, with the Rex seeing the lion share of use. I like it so much that I really don’t want to travel with it. So, I bought the Pearl Flexi to serve as a sub for the Rex, my travel razor so that the Ambassador could stay safely at home.

When I received the Flexi (extremely quickly from the Razor Company), I promptly tried it out. Fit and finish are very good. Not on par with the Rex, but really nice for an $80 razor. Comes with a stand at no additional cost. That’s nothing to sneeze at as the Rex’s stand is an additional $50 unless you catch a discount. But the Flexi is HEAVY. The Rex isn’t a light razor. I weighed it at 107 grams, but, to me, has perfect balance. My Ascension is copper and weights 120 grams. But, again, seems very well balanced. The Pearl Flexi comes in at a whopping 142 grams. That’s ok with me as I do not like light razors but I’d like to see a little more weight in the razor head and a little less in the handle. Also, the handle is solidly capped at the bottom. I like that the Rex is open at the bottom so that I can run water straight through when rinsing after a shave.

Regarding performance, the Flexi performed flawlessly. Super shave, on par with the Rex. (But I do agree with others that it’s slightly less efficient, by about one adjustment dial setting). Better shave than my WR2, with no effort. It will be my one and only travel razor which I’m sure will serve me for the rest of my years.

So, if your on the fence between the Pearl and the Rex, which do I recommend? It depends!if you don’t like heavy razors, don’t get the Flexi. If you prefer stainless steel or really want high level fit and finish or outstanding knurling, grab the Rex (and use Razor Emporium’s discount codes). Also, if you need the utmost efficiency and want an adjustable, the Rex beats out the Pearl by a bit. (Gotta point out that, by all accounts that I’ve read, the Rochelle Sailor tops all adjustables in fit, finish and efficiency, except maybe the Janus Toggle. But, both those razors are MUCH more expensive. I digress). If however you want a high quality, well made, great shaving adjustable DE and don’t want to spend a lot, GRAB A PEARL FLEXI! at the $80 price point, it’s a (chrome plated brass) steal!
 

Lefonque

Even more clueless than you
Better shave than wolfman that is high praise indeed.
Nice write up. I have not used a Rex. It is always good to get comparisons by someone who uses the razors regularly. Thanks.
 
So, I’ll begin with acknowledging that the Rex Ambassador is, by far, my favorite razor. Yup, I like it more than my WR2 1.25. A lot more. I also very much favor adjustable razors. I usually alternate between the Rex, my Ascension Twist Adjustable DOC, my Fatboy and my Slim, with the Rex seeing the lion share of use. I like it so much that I really don’t want to travel with it. So, I bought the Pearl Flexi to serve as a sub for the Rex, my travel razor so that the Ambassador could stay safely at home.

When I received the Flexi (extremely quickly from the Razor Company), I promptly tried it out. Fit and finish are very good. Not on par with the Rex, but really nice for an $80 razor. Comes with a stand at no additional cost. That’s nothing to sneeze at as the Rex’s stand is an additional $50 unless you catch a discount. But the Flexi is HEAVY. The Rex isn’t a light razor. I weighed it at 107 grams, but, to me, has perfect balance. My Ascension is copper and weights 120 grams. But, again, seems very well balanced. The Pearl Flexi comes in at a whopping 142 grams. That’s ok with me as I do not like light razors but I’d like to see a little more weight in the razor head and a little less in the handle. Also, the handle is solidly capped at the bottom. I like that the Rex is open at the bottom so that I can run water straight through when rinsing after a shave.

Regarding performance, the Flexi performed flawlessly. Super shave, on par with the Rex. (But I do agree with others that it’s slightly less efficient, by about one adjustment dial setting). Better shave than my WR2, with no effort. It will be my one and only travel razor which I’m sure will serve me for the rest of my years.

So, if your on the fence between the Pearl and the Rex, which do I recommend? It depends!if you don’t like heavy razors, don’t get the Flexi. If you prefer stainless steel or really want high level fit and finish or outstanding knurling, grab the Rex (and use Razor Emporium’s discount codes). Also, if you need the utmost efficiency and want an adjustable, the Rex beats out the Pearl by a bit. (Gotta point out that, by all accounts that I’ve read, the Rochelle Sailor tops all adjustables in fit, finish and efficiency, except maybe the Janus Toggle. But, both those razors are MUCH more expensive. I digress). If however you want a high quality, well made, great shaving adjustable DE and don’t want to spend a lot, GRAB A PEARL FLEXI! at the $80 price point, it’s a (chrome plated brass) steal!
Any blade gap issues?

- Fayiz D.
 
Any blade gap issues?

- Fayiz D.
None on mine. It’s a gen 2. I really wasn’t worried though as I’ve never read that the gap issues actually translated into a bad shaving experience.
Better shave than wolfman that is high praise indeed.
Nice write up. I have not used a Rex. It is always good to get comparisons by someone who uses the razors regularly. Thanks.
I should probably qualify YMMV. I know I’m in the minority as the the WR2 1.25 is almost universally revered. It’s a stunning razor but I couldn’t get a superlative shave on a consistent basis with it. I do that with the Rex.
 
So, I’ll begin with acknowledging that the Rex Ambassador is, by far, my favorite razor. Yup, I like it more than my WR2 1.25. A lot more. I also very much favor adjustable razors. I usually alternate between the Rex, my Ascension Twist Adjustable DOC, my Fatboy and my Slim, with the Rex seeing the lion share of use. I like it so much that I really don’t want to travel with it. So, I bought the Pearl Flexi to serve as a sub for the Rex, my travel razor so that the Ambassador could stay safely at home.

When I received the Flexi (extremely quickly from the Razor Company), I promptly tried it out. Fit and finish are very good. Not on par with the Rex, but really nice for an $80 razor. Comes with a stand at no additional cost. That’s nothing to sneeze at as the Rex’s stand is an additional $50 unless you catch a discount. But the Flexi is HEAVY. The Rex isn’t a light razor. I weighed it at 107 grams, but, to me, has perfect balance. My Ascension is copper and weights 120 grams. But, again, seems very well balanced. The Pearl Flexi comes in at a whopping 142 grams. That’s ok with me as I do not like light razors but I’d like to see a little more weight in the razor head and a little less in the handle. Also, the handle is solidly capped at the bottom. I like that the Rex is open at the bottom so that I can run water straight through when rinsing after a shave.

Regarding performance, the Flexi performed flawlessly. Super shave, on par with the Rex. (But I do agree with others that it’s slightly less efficient, by about one adjustment dial setting). Better shave than my WR2, with no effort. It will be my one and only travel razor which I’m sure will serve me for the rest of my years.

So, if your on the fence between the Pearl and the Rex, which do I recommend? It depends!if you don’t like heavy razors, don’t get the Flexi. If you prefer stainless steel or really want high level fit and finish or outstanding knurling, grab the Rex (and use Razor Emporium’s discount codes). Also, if you need the utmost efficiency and want an adjustable, the Rex beats out the Pearl by a bit. (Gotta point out that, by all accounts that I’ve read, the Rochelle Sailor tops all adjustables in fit, finish and efficiency, except maybe the Janus Toggle. But, both those razors are MUCH more expensive. I digress). If however you want a high quality, well made, great shaving adjustable DE and don’t want to spend a lot, GRAB A PEARL FLEXI! at the $80 price point, it’s a (chrome plated brass) steal!

I would always chime in to any Rex Ambasaador thread to add that one single key differentiator.

Vendor apathy to customers. RE sells an elite razor with zero customer service orientation. I have a bad copy which he reluctantly "repaired" keeping it for 4 months to do so and it came back the same. I was told that spare parts were not available and yet they released and sold more razors in those months.

Any further communication was considered by them as nit picking and whining while others enjoy their product and even vintage adjustables have that "slight" uneven blade issue.

Well my fatboys, executives, slims and supers don't have that issue at all as I was being led to believe by RE.

The nit picking I did was that the razor has very high unequal blade exposure on both sides which makes it unusable even at setting 2. All they had to do was replace a damn 50 cent spring and they drag their feet for that ane call it nit picking.

On the other hand Pearl even though operating out of India has superlative customer service. They listen to customers and improvise. V1 of flexi had issues and were promptly replaced by V2

Customer service goes a long way too besides the razor quality alone, atleast for a 250 quid razor.
 
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I would always chime in to any Rex Ambasaador thread to add that one single key differentiator.

Vendor apathy to customers. RE sells an elite razor with zero customer service orientation. I have a bad copy which he reluctantly repaired taking 4 months to do so and it came.back the same. Any further communication was considered by them as nit picking and whining while others enjoy their product.

The not picking I did was that the razor has very high unequal blade exposure on both sides which is awful.

On the other hand Pearl even though operating out of India has superlative customer service. They listen to customers and improvise. V1 of flexi had issues and were promptly replaced.

Customer service goes a long way too besides the razor quality.l alone
Yup. I’m aware that more than a couple folks have reported bad experiences with RE (though I have personally not had issue, at least to date), and Pearl seems to have really stepped up to stand behind their razor.
 
Yup. I’m aware that more than a couple folks have reported bad experiences with RE (though I have personally not had issue, at least to date), and Pearl seems to have really stepped up to stand behind their razor.

I used the Pearl Flexi V2 for 21 shaves in the FFFMM challenge and I can attest that it is a superior product than many other razors.

The satin coating makes the cnc milling look like it's a cast razor. I think the should release a version which is purely brass finish machined look. It will be one Helluva stunning looker.

In those 21 days, my hands got the muscle memory for the heavy razor and within a week I was maneuvering it just like a DJ89 razor.

Do agree on the solid base needs a hole. Cleaning the razor would be much easier just like the Rex.
 
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None on mine. It’s a gen 2. I really wasn’t worried though as I’ve never read that the gap issues actually translated into a bad shaving experience.

I should probably qualify YMMV. I know I’m in the minority as the the WR2 1.25 is almost universally revered. It’s a stunning razor but I couldn’t get a superlative shave on a consistent basis with it. I do that with the Rex.
I ask because some still had issues on their v2. Thanks for the great review

- Fayiz D.
 
I used the Pearl Flexi V2 for 21 shaves in the FFFMM challenge and I can attest that it is a superior product than many other razors.

The satin coating makes the cnc milling look like it's a cast razor. I think the should release a version which is purely brass finish machined look. It will be one Helluva stunning looker.

In those 21 days, my hands got the muscle memory for the heavy razor and within a week I was maneuvering it just like a DJ89 razor.

Do agree on the solid base needs a hole. Cleaning the razor would be much easier just like the Rex.
I’d pay extra for an unplated, polished brass version!
 
Is the head geometry exactly copied from the rex ambassador?

- Fayiz D.
The Pearl Flexi V2 cap is different and has a slight dome curve to it, not present on Rex ambasasor which is a normal cap like other razors. Curved slightly.

I belive this configuration makes it milder than the Rex and also maybe makes it shave better than a Wolfman !!
 
So, I’ll begin with acknowledging that the Rex Ambassador is, by far, my favorite razor. Yup, I like it more than my WR2 1.25. A lot more. I also very much favor adjustable razors. I usually alternate between the Rex, my Ascension Twist Adjustable DOC, my Fatboy and my Slim, with the Rex seeing the lion share of use. I like it so much that I really don’t want to travel with it. So, I bought the Pearl Flexi to serve as a sub for the Rex, my travel razor so that the Ambassador could stay safely at home.

When I received the Flexi (extremely quickly from the Razor Company), I promptly tried it out. Fit and finish are very good. Not on par with the Rex, but really nice for an $80 razor. Comes with a stand at no additional cost. That’s nothing to sneeze at as the Rex’s stand is an additional $50 unless you catch a discount. But the Flexi is HEAVY. The Rex isn’t a light razor. I weighed it at 107 grams, but, to me, has perfect balance. My Ascension is copper and weights 120 grams. But, again, seems very well balanced. The Pearl Flexi comes in at a whopping 142 grams. That’s ok with me as I do not like light razors but I’d like to see a little more weight in the razor head and a little less in the handle. Also, the handle is solidly capped at the bottom. I like that the Rex is open at the bottom so that I can run water straight through when rinsing after a shave.

Regarding performance, the Flexi performed flawlessly. Super shave, on par with the Rex. (But I do agree with others that it’s slightly less efficient, by about one adjustment dial setting). Better shave than my WR2, with no effort. It will be my one and only travel razor which I’m sure will serve me for the rest of my years.

So, if your on the fence between the Pearl and the Rex, which do I recommend? It depends!if you don’t like heavy razors, don’t get the Flexi. If you prefer stainless steel or really want high level fit and finish or outstanding knurling, grab the Rex (and use Razor Emporium’s discount codes). Also, if you need the utmost efficiency and want an adjustable, the Rex beats out the Pearl by a bit. (Gotta point out that, by all accounts that I’ve read, the Rochelle Sailor tops all adjustables in fit, finish and efficiency, except maybe the Janus Toggle. But, both those razors are MUCH more expensive. I digress). If however you want a high quality, well made, great shaving adjustable DE and don’t want to spend a lot, GRAB A PEARL FLEXI! at the $80 price point, it’s a (chrome plated brass) steal!

Nice review on the Flexi. It looks they have tightened things up a bit from batch 1.

I also fall into that camp that has a challenged Rex but acknowledge that minus my issues, it is very efficient. I think my Gibbs razors are a lot smoother, but the Rex gets the job done, I just can’t enjoy mine unfortunately.

I am not a person that rains on anyone’s parade, I’m glad you love yours, happy shaves!
 
It sucks you guys had issues with the rex. I wonder which model yours is. Mine is a P4 (4th quarter of 2020) and it's my favorite razor, even more so than my timeless polished. It's just so smooth and comfortable for me, especially with a feather blade.

- Fayiz D.
 
Yeah it’s kinda tough... I wanted to love my Rex (N series) but it just always seemed to give me a rough(er) shave than my other razors (Vintage and modern) and I couldn’t use it on higher settings without significant irritation. Machining was top notch and glad it was USA made [emoji631] , but at that price, it needed to be better for me. The Taiga is that top notch machined SS razor for me - bonus is that it has CB and OC options and buttery smooth.

The Pearl is an excellent budget friendly adjustable razor that performs very well. I plan on it becoming my go to travel adjustable razor [emoji1360] when I want a DE in my travel bag. Cheers.

Josh
 
Yeah it’s kinda tough... I wanted to love my Rex (N series) but it just always seemed to give me a rough(er) shave than my other razors (Vintage and modern) and I couldn’t use it on higher settings without significant irritation. Machining was top notch and glad it was USA made [emoji631] , but at that price, it needed to be better for me. The Taiga is that top notch machined SS razor for me - bonus is that it has CB and OC options and buttery smooth.

The Pearl is an excellent budget friendly adjustable razor that performs very well. I plan on it becoming my go to travel adjustable razor [emoji1360] when I want a DE in my travel bag. Cheers.

Josh
I believe the N model was rough as the head geometry was different and was changed afterwards. I think Matt went through the different changes in a recent RE video on YouTube.

- Fayiz D.
 
Nice review on the Flexi. It looks they have tightened things up a bit from batch 1.

I also fall into that camp that has a challenged Rex but acknowledge that minus my issues, it is very efficient. I think my Gibbs razors are a lot smoother, but the Rex gets the job done, I just can’t enjoy mine unfortunately.

I am not a person that rains on anyone’s parade, I’m glad you love yours, happy shaves!
I’m sorry you have issues with yours. I know you’re not alone. There’s also a lot of folks who feel the Rex is too aggressive on almost every setting. The RA is a very polarizing razor.

I’m not on the look to buy anymore razors, but I may yet acquire a Gibbs someday. It’s crazy smoothness, despite efficiency, borders on legendary.
 
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