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The Flexi-Rex debate: another perspective

I received an "R" series Rex a week ago. After a week of use on settings 1-4 I have not found the Rex to be aggressive or rough. The build quality is excellent and it functions perfectly. I did consider the Flexi. I may pick up a Flexi in the future to use for travel as well.
 
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.

Interesting... at least I had bought it second hand so it wasn’t a crazy loss on it. But it was disappointing nonetheless. I’ll have to look for that video. Thanks! [emoji1360]


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I have shaved with my Flexi just once. My daily is a Mergress. I am getting closer shaves with the Mergress on 3-4 than the Flexi fully opened. It also feels a bit harsher. I had to keep my soap wetter or else I didn't find it slid well. It started to drag. I am wondering if I just didn't have the angle correct being so used to the mergress. Going to give it few more tries. The Mergress got sent off to the mothership to have it looked at. One side is more aggressive than the other. That's why I bought the flexi.
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
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.
RE is dishonest and it's well documented. People deserve to know this. They also need to be reminded of such practices as: sending in a vintage razor to be refurbished and being sent back a different razor. Then selling the switched razor for a premium. etc, etc,.
 
RE is dishonest and it's well documented. People deserve to know this. They also need to be reminded of such practices as: sending in a vintage razor to be refurbished and being sent back a different razor. Then selling the switched razor for a premium. etc, etc,.

Wow really??? [emoji19]


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RE is dishonest and it's well documented. People deserve to know this. They also need to be reminded of such practices as: sending in a vintage razor to be refurbished and being sent back a different razor. Then selling the switched razor for a premium. etc, etc,.
Is there any evidence of them knowingly selling switched razors? With the collection and ability to revamp almost any razor, I cant think of any reason they would do that

- Fayiz D.
 
The Flexi is 18g heavier than your Mergress. It will take some getting used to. Start it at 3 or 4 with a good blade and run with it about a week.
The weight isn't the issue. I just has a different angle than I am used to. I tried 3 different blades last night in it. A Feather, a Russian and a Parker. Needless to say I am looking for another razor. It's just not going to work for me. I like everything else about though. lol It feels great looks great but just not for me.
 
Is there any evidence of them knowingly selling switched razors? With the collection and ability to revamp almost any razor, I cant think of any reason they would do that

- Fayiz D.
A replating company receiving a more intact/cleaner specimen than their current in-house specimen has a $50-100 incentive, per specimen, in resale value. "Revamp" is a bit euphamistic, as some things cannot be remediated and switching out is much easier than silver-soldering or laser welding.

The RE reputation is the reason I, personally, did not jump on the Rex bandwagon, but waited until a couple of versions had been kicked out and more positive reports were popping up.
 
The weight isn't the issue. I just has a different angle than I am used to. I tried 3 different blades last night in it. A Feather, a Russian and a Parker. Needless to say I am looking for another razor. It's just not going to work for me. I like everything else about though. lol It feels great looks great but just not for me.
You tried 3 blade switches during one shave? With a notably heavier body and different weight distribution. With a notably different cap & guard. With differences in adjustment range from your daily adjustable. Once?

If it doesn't have any issues, I suspect you could turn it in the BST pretty quickly.
 
A replating company receiving a more intact/cleaner specimen than their current in-house specimen has a $50-100 incentive, per specimen, in resale value. "Revamp" is a bit euphamistic, as some things cannot be remediated and switching out is much easier than silver-soldering or laser welding.

The RE reputation is the reason I, personally, did not jump on the Rex bandwagon, but waited until a couple of versions had been kicked out and more positive reports were popping up.
That sounds like speculation (barely) and definitely not evidence. You must not have seen how much they can turn a razor around. They aren't the only ones, as back roads is also very good. I personally don't care where you spend your money but I don't think we should be spreading accusations without evidence.

- Fayiz D.
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Is there any evidence of them knowingly selling switched razors? With the collection and ability to revamp almost any razor, I cant think of any reason they would do that

- Fayiz D.
Search B&B on Razor Emporium. B&B is chalked full of all kinds of evidence and testimonials. You don't have to take my word for it.


Xavier01 said:
This unfortunately is a pattern at Razor emporium there are multiple threads on this forum and others about them being unresponsive, losing razors, or destroying them.
Matyistancu said:
Learned my lesson.... Never again. No wonder he is getting fatter by the day on naive people's money.
BudgetShaverGuy said:
If you look around here you'll see lots of negative feedback about him unfortunately. He looks like such a nice guy in his YouTube videos, but quite the opposite in reality. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, they might be able to help you.
slybrewguy said:
I frequently hear this same thing. Another common one is sending a razor back with simply a polish (if even any work at all). Shame.
nemo said:
Or sending someone else's razor back to you, good luck ever getting your granddad's heirloom returned.
tonich said:
This guy has "lost" many of rare vintage and/or heirloom razors sent to him by honourable forum members over the past decade or so. He has told so many lies to all of them so far...
Buyers beware!

Revamp @razoremporium | Badger & Blade (badgerandblade.com)
Revamp @razoremporium | Badger & Blade (badgerandblade.com)

Razor Emporium and Poor Service - READ POST 43 | Page 3 | Badger & Blade (badgerandblade.com)
Anyone else have issues with Gifts and Care Lately? | Badger & Blade (badgerandblade.com)
Anyone else have issues with Gifts and Care Lately? | Badger & Blade (badgerandblade.com)


Btw, Gifts and Care is spot on honest and reputable. I shared the links because of dishonorable mentions of RE.
 
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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.

Wow. That is very high praise. My top three razors are the WR2 1.25 SB, the Rex Ambassador and the BB SB. I have never had a bad shave with the Ambassador.


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

Vendor apathy to customers.

I would say my customer service experience making multiple purchases over the past year with RE has been outstanding and their 20% off sales always draw me in.

I'm not discounting anyone else's experience. I recently had a terrible experience with a well-established, reputable and well-liked vendor (not RE). I had placed 15 - 20 orders with them over the past year, but after the recent shenanigans I will vote with my feet.
 
That sounds like speculation (barely) and definitely not evidence. You must not have seen how much they can turn a razor around. They aren't the only ones, as back roads is also very good. I personally don't care where you spend your money but I don't think we should be spreading accusations without evidence.

- Fayiz D.
You stated that you could not think of a reason for product-switching. I provided one, and one that is not at all uncommon among dishonest antique restoration shops and dealers.

RE has had a rocky initial offering, with continued reports of dissatisfactory CS. My experience was fine, but at this point I'm only willing to pay-to-play once with them. As the current production Rexes seem to have things worked out, I do recommend them, but would not purchase a specimen earlier than O, lifetime warranty expressed or not.

Pearl has had similar product issues, but I have not seen a report where a complaint was sent to them that was not more than adequately addressed, and this on 3 different forums. Simply on the CS endorsement, I decided to give them a try, and would not hesitate to buy from them again.
 
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That sounds like speculation (barely) and definitely not evidence. You must not have seen how much they can turn a razor around. They aren't the only ones, as back roads is also very good. I personally don't care where you spend your money but I don't think we should be spreading accusations without evidence.

- Fayiz D.

There is a shaving video where Matt reviews the Flexi (V1). Go into the comments section and you will find someone commenting about issues with their Rex which were never addressed, this was me. Besides the adjustment issues, I have a threading issue with the knob. Their last comment before blowing me off completely was their sending a new knob. I never got that knob, I think that was back in December. I finally got a reply via email in January, verified my address and still nothing.

Like I mentioned before, I won’t rain on anyone’s parade, I’m glad people have had great experiences. I think I can fix that thing myself, just haven’t had the time. Have to dig up my heat gun, brake cleaner etc to take it apart and fix the threads at some point. Owning a Gibbs, I think all my issues are threading thought the razor. Don’t have to worry about dumping a lifetime warranty that was kinda worthless to begin with.
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
There is a shaving video where Matt reviews the Flexi (V1). Go into the comments section and you will find someone commenting about issues with their Rex which were never addressed, this was me. Besides the adjustment issues, I have a threading issue with the knob. Their last comment before blowing me off completely was their sending a new knob. I never got that knob, I think that was back in December. I finally got a reply via email in January, verified my address and still nothing.

Like I mentioned before, I won’t rain on anyone’s parade, I’m glad people have had great experiences. I think I can fix that thing myself, just haven’t had the time. Have to dig up my heat gun, brake cleaner etc to take it apart and fix the threads at some point. Owning a Gibbs, I think all my issues are threading thought the razor. Don’t have to worry about dumping a lifetime warranty that was kinda worthless to begin with.
My own experience is buying a razor from him and he sent the wrong one/model. I contacted him with pictures of the razor and a copy of the invoice stating the model I was supposed to have received. He said if I send it back to him, on my own dime, he would correct it.
 
You tried 3 blade switches during one shave? With a notably heavier body and different weight distribution. With a notably different cap & guard. With differences in adjustment range from your daily adjustable. Once?

If it doesn't have any issues, I suspect you could turn it in the BST pretty quickly.
It does sound a bit nutty but that's exactly what I did. I kept thinking I just haven't found the right blade yet but not the case. I did figure out the angle and it is different from the Merkur. I also realized that every razor I have owned except for this has been some version of Merkur. I did buy a Chinese Futur knockoff to keep at a weekend place. It actually shaved quite well.

I have a Timeless in my cart but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm thinking if I can find a fairly aggressive non adjustable that just might be the ticket. I rotate my soaps and blades but not so much a razor. I'm not into the hobby aspect as I once was. I don't really enjoy shaving to be honest. I don't hate it either. I do want to make it the most enjoyable I can though with excellent results. So I tinker like everyone else but maybe not for the same exact reasons.

As far as the BST I tossed the box. If someone wanted to make a reasonable offer I would probably sell it but it will probably just sit under my vanity. In a couple years I will rediscover it. Think maybe now I can tame it. Will have the exact same results and put it away again. I suspect many of us are like that.
 
It does sound a bit nutty but that's exactly what I did. I kept thinking I just haven't found the right blade yet but not the case. I did figure out the angle and it is different from the Merkur. I also realized that every razor I have owned except for this has been some version of Merkur. I did buy a Chinese Futur knockoff to keep at a weekend place. It actually shaved quite well.

I have a Timeless in my cart but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm thinking if I can find a fairly aggressive non adjustable that just might be the ticket. I rotate my soaps and blades but not so much a razor. I'm not into the hobby aspect as I once was. I don't really enjoy shaving to be honest. I don't hate it either. I do want to make it the most enjoyable I can though with excellent results. So I tinker like everyone else but maybe not for the same exact reasons.

As far as the BST I tossed the box. If someone wanted to make a reasonable offer I would probably sell it but it will probably just sit under my vanity. In a couple years I will rediscover it. Think maybe now I can tame it. Will have the exact same results and put it away again. I suspect many of us are like that.
I think your other razors did well with a more shallow shaving angle. The Rex/Flexi does better with steeper angles, riding the guard more versus the cap.

While blades are subjective, I find these razors work better with milder blades, like Voskhods.
 
My own experience is buying a razor from him and he sent the wrong one/model. I contacted him with pictures of the razor and a copy of the invoice stating the model I was supposed to have received. He said if I send it back to him, on my own dime, he would correct it.

I know most of us here are not always easy to please and expect a lot, especially when we pay more, but when it comes to build issues, this is as it should be.

I owned my Rex first prior to my first Gibbs purchase. I had learned to live with the issues with my Rex and thought I had moved on. I could turn the knob on my Rex counterclockwise to seat the threads before tightening things up, if I wanted to adjust during the shave, I could pay closer attention to the gap on my Rex to know approximately what setting I should be on, I had already buffed out the burrs on the finish and had gotten used to that rickety dial past setting 5.

I recognized that my Rex was an efficient, cool looking razor, but then I landed that first Gibbs quite by accident. Put in a lower bid on the Bay but somehow won the auction. The seller is actually a member here. I never gave much thought to buying a Gibbs because I thought the stainless newer version of that old design was already better, well on paper.

Then I shaved with that Gibbs. It is a really old one too, most likely made in the thirties. Efficient like the Rex but so incredibly smooth on all settings, low to high. Also, everything just worked, no settings guessing, you turn that knob without having to seat the threads, a smooth dial throughout, easily disassembled and the thing just has curves everywhere.

I bought more Gibbs razors for my two sons and ended up with a second, later production year for myself. This is what it comes down to. RE lost two Rex sales. I have always bought additional razors I love for my boys.

My best advice to a Rex owner is to never buy a Gibbs. If you have some issues with your Rex, definitely don’t ever acquire a Gibbs, it’s makes it even worse, trust me. In the last few years, I’ve seen attempts to copy the old design and straight up copy the Rex version with some good results and some bad. If someone, like say Timeless decided to take a stab at that design, look out. Congratulations to all those TAIGA owners out there by the way, I dropped the ball on that one.
 
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