How SMOOTH is the Rex Ambassador?

[ShavePastor]

I need some help figuring out if the Rex would be worth me selling some stuff in order to get.

For reference, by smooth, I mean the comfort level during the shave which is hard to get irritation because it is so forgiving. I'm talking smooth, as in it doesn't have a propensity to bite you if your technique is off a little, it's extremely comfortable, it just glides easily with little effort, you can shave with it mindlessly and on autopilot. By smooth I do NOT mean the end result of how close the shave was or how BBS feeling your cheeks are, or how silky & supple the face feels afterwards. Ok? So I am strictly talking of the performance of the razor during use.

For me so far the Rockwell 6s/c is the King of SMOOTH. It has set the bar pretty high IMO. The Karve is another one I would say is smooth, although not as much as Rockwell. The Parker Variant on certain settings like 3 or 3.5 is also amazingly smooth!

So how about the Rex? Is it a supremely smooth shaver like these others I mentioned (I know ymmv & technique & all that matters)? Is it easy to mindlessly shave with it & forgiving enough to still not cause irritation? Does the geometry of the head & safety bars somehow magically aid tremendously to the ease of use? All this is important to me as that's a lot of money to drop on a razor & I'd be selling some stuff to fund it. Thanks for any insights!

 

[GlazedBoker]

Tough question to answer. Smoothness is extremely subjective to each individual. You can poll 50 guys and get 50 different answers to be honest. To some it's smooth, to others it isn't. It's smooth enough for me is all I can tell you.

PM sent by the way....

 

[ShavePastor]

Thanks Gus. I know every razor has its fans & it's detractors. You're right it is all very subjective. Since I know you're a big fan of the Variant (as I am too) maybe your opinion could help. Would you say in your judgment the Rex is just as smooth & feels as comfortable?

 

[cyberdog]

Can't comment on the REX, as I just haven't justified spending the money for one...yet. I'm in your boat, the Rockwell is amazingly comfortable, yet also capable of a close shave. After originally using it months with R2 and occasionally R3, I tried R6 and after a couple shaves, never looked back at the lower plates. My Karve (D Plate) is on par with Rocky, but may a bit more efficient, basically auto-pilot shaves. Other's that are that smooth or close to that smooth/comfort for me were my Fat-Boy with a KAI blade (Astra SP is probably 2nd), the el-cheapo MingShi (super smooth, more so than the Variant I tried during the pass around), and surprisingly the Timeless 95 when you find the sweet spot. (My Timeless is also an OC, and even then it's surprisingly smooth, even with a Feather).

Somebody who loves the design has several Gibbs #17, and indicated it close, but not quite as smooth as the Gibbs that the REX is based on.

 

[GlazedBoker]

Thanks Gus. I know every razor has its fans & it's detractors. You're right it is all very subjective. Since I know you're a big fan of the Variant (as I am too) maybe your opinion could help. Would you say in your judgment the Rex is just as smooth & feels as comfortable?

Yes & no. The smoothness is there in the Variant but, I feel and imho it is a bit more efficient through each one of adjustment ranges over the Rex. The trade off though is that in my experience the Variant is more liable to bite as I feel more blade than from the Rex. The Rex feels more "safe" in the higher settings, if you will. They are both capable of giving excellent shaves and in the higher settings are exquisite in giving excellent feel with the blade.

I can't choose one over the other as I love them both. If it comes down to $$$, the Variant is the winner hands down because of how it performs and value per dollar is almost unbeatable. If that were the criteria in selecting a razor, there are only 2 razors that I think can match it shave for shave and arguably beat it. That's the Karve & the Rockwell 6s/6c combo.

If you can appreciate fine craftsmanship and exotic alloys with tolerances that are pretty close to impeccable that is literally heirloom quality, it's a no brainer the Rex gets it.

Again, everything that I said here is subjective to one and all. I speak only from my own personal experience with each one of the razors mentioned. The Karve is still under scrutiny as I just received the E & F plates and I'll be trying those out soon.....

 

[ShavePastor]

Yes & no. The smoothness is there in the Variant but, I feel and imho it is a bit more efficient through each one of adjustment ranges over the Rex. The trade off though is that in my experience the Variant is more liable to bite as I feel more blade than from the Rex. The Rex feels more "safe" in the higher settings, if you will. They are both capable of giving excellent shaves and in the higher settings are exquisite in giving excellent feel with the blade.

I can't choose one over the other as I love them both. If it comes down to $$$, the Variant is the winner hands down because of how it performs and value per dollar is almost unbeatable. If that were the criteria in selecting a razor, there are only 2 razors that I think can match it shave for shave and arguably beat it. That's the Karve & the Rockwell 6s/6c combo.

If you can appreciate fine craftsmanship and exotic alloys with tolerances that are pretty close to impeccable that is literally heirloom quality, it's a no brainer the Rex gets it.

Again, everything that I said here is subjective to one and all. I speak only from my own personal experience with each one of the razors mentioned. The Karve is still under scrutiny as I just received the E & F plates and I'll be trying those out soon.....

Wow Gus, that was super helpful! Especially the part about the blade feel comparison between the Variant & the Rex. If the Variant has more blade feel and is slightly more efficient at each numbered setting of both, then I can already start to feel I'm gonna really like this one! Great write up!

 

[Cino]

I find the Rex smooth and, on the lower settings, very smooth. On two it's efficient enough and almost fool proof. I use it between 3 and 4, get a great shave, and have never been bit.

 

[Dtwitch19]

I find it to be really smooth and forgiving. I'm used to aggressive razors and was using a R41(13) and iKon Tech before I bought the Rex, and I find the Rex at 3.5 to be the sweet spot. The head design allows for easy use and is small enough to get under my nose. I've only nicked myself once and that was going over my Adam's apple accidentally.

 

[ugadawg]

I think the Rex is smooth and it’s easy to use. I don’t think I’ve had irritation from it yet. I like setting 4 or 4.5.

 

[maximedboisvert]

I own both the Rex Ambassador and the Rockwell 6S. I've bought the 6s first and got the Rex a couple of months later. I thought the 6S was smooth until I tried the Rex. This bad boy is both super smooth and incredibly efficient even on lower settings (I use it between 1.5 and 2, depending on the blade I am using).

The Rex has become my daily shaver of choice. The 6S is kinda gathering dust in my den, but this morning I thought I would revisit it for old times sake. When the 6S was my main razor, i was using it with either plate R3 or R2. So this morning, I put the plate R3 in it and started shaving. It was SO not efficient or smooth when compared to the Rex. For the first time in months, I was having a bad shave. So after first pass, in order to get the similar efficiency the Rex is providing, I switched to plate R4. It was more efficient but not smooth at all. Thanks to having more experience wet shaving than I did when using the 6S regularly, I managed to get an irritation-free shave nonetheless.

So, I am telling you my friend, the Rex Ambassador is probably the finest shaving tool ever made. It's smooth, efficient and so well designed. It's my favorite razor. Period.

 

[ShavePastor]

I own both the Rex Ambassador and the Rockwell 6S. I've bought the 6s first and got the Rex a couple of months later. I thought the 6S was smooth until I tried the Rex. This bad boy is both super smooth and incredibly efficient even on lower settings (I use it between 1.5 and 2, depending on the blade I am using).

The Rex has become my daily shaver of choice. The 6S is kinda gathering dust in my den, but this morning I thought I would revisit it for old times sake. When the 6S was my main razor, i was using it with either plate R3 or R2. So this morning, I put the plate R3 in it and started shaving. It was SO not efficient or smooth when compared to the Rex. For the first time in months, I was having a bad shave. So after first pass, in order to get the similar efficiency the Rex is providing, I switched to plate R4. It was more efficient but not smooth at all. Thanks to having more experience wet shaving than I did when using the 6S regularly, I managed to get an irritation-free shave nonetheless.

So, I am telling you my friend, the Rex Ambassador is probably the finest shaving tool ever made. It's smooth, efficient and so well designed. It's my favorite razor. Period.

Thanks for your feedback & confirmation of the smoothness of the Rex! It's too bad the Rockwell isn't working out for you, as it is definitely one of my favorites. But it sounds like you have found your forever razor!

 

[JB1963]

In my experience the Rockwell 6c is smooth, real smooth, 0 irritation smooth, comfortable. Next up is the Karve, I use it with a C plate, and its smooth. You can shave on Autopilot with both these razors, they are so good that they make your weaker blades perform well too!

 

[ShavePastor]

In my experience the Rockwell 6c is smooth, real smooth, 0 irritation smooth, comfortable. Next up is the Karve, I use it with a C plate, and its smooth. You can shave on Autopilot with both these razors, they are so good that they make your weaker blades perform well too!

I agree! Love the Rockwell 6s/c & Karve! These razors carry a reputation for being known characteristically as smooth. Hopefully the same key word will become characteristic of the Rex: smooth!

 

[GlazedBoker]

Yes & no. The smoothness is there in the Variant but, I feel and imho it is a bit more efficient through each one of adjustment ranges over the Rex. The trade off though is that in my experience the Variant is more liable to bite as I feel more blade than from the Rex. The Rex feels more "safe" in the higher settings, if you will. They are both capable of giving excellent shaves and in the higher settings are exquisite in giving excellent feel with the blade.

I can't choose one over the other as I love them both. If it comes down to $$$, the Variant is the winner hands down because of how it performs and value per dollar is almost unbeatable. If that were the criteria in selecting a razor, there are only 2 razors that I think can match it shave for shave and arguably beat it. That's the Karve & the Rockwell 6s/6c combo.

If you can appreciate fine craftsmanship and exotic alloys with tolerances that are pretty close to impeccable that is literally heirloom quality, it's a no brainer the Rex gets it.

Again, everything that I said here is subjective to one and all. I speak only from my own personal experience with each one of the razors mentioned. The Karve is still under scrutiny as I just received the E & F plates and I'll be trying those out soon.....

Wow Gus, that was super helpful! Especially the part about the blade feel comparison between the Variant & the Rex. If the Variant has more blade feel and is slightly more efficient at each numbered setting of both, then I can already start to feel I'm gonna really like this one! Great write up!

I was just looking at my own post and I failed to describe whether the Rex was a smooth shaver. And yes, it is. I got caught up in describing the differences in efficiency between the Variant and Rex that I glossed over what your true question was. The Rex is definitely a smooth shaver, a touch more than the Variant. That being said, there are those that have mentioned that the Rex does exhibit some form of drag of which I have not experienced. But, it should be taken into account as it has been mentioned on quite a few forums by various shavers of this drag issue. Again, I’ve never experienced such said drag and all my shaves with the Rex have been comfortably smooth and efficient.

 

[shawnz82]

I own both the REX and Rockwell 6S. Its still too early for me to conclude. I did 2 shaves with the REX and about 4-5 with the Rockwell 6S. I find the Rockwell to be smooth for me but then again it is different for each part on my face. I use 1.5 setting on the REX for ATG on my upper lip. My last shave I used the REX and the Merkur to compare. I found the Merkur smoother but it had a different blade. Next time I will try the REX and Merkur with the same blade and the following shave will be the Rockwell 6S and the REX. I am doing half my face with each one basically.

FWIW, i would not recommend being having to save up or get rid of items to make room to buy a $250 razor, even if it was a slightly better razor because there is no such thing as the best razor. And at $250 it should be reserved to those who can care less about dropping that kind of money. I happened to have that kind of money to drop but I don't think its the holy grail. Its all in your technique.

There is no razor that will glide effortlessly on your face. All that is in your prep, cream/soap, and blade and yes mostly your technique. If you cant get it super smooth from your other DEs, I don't think the REX will be it but it can HELP you. To me it's just another adjustable and the power of adjustables helps one with their technique. In my opinion, and some may take offense to this but I feel that they are kind of like crutches. No offense to those but shaving is an art that even I, after 11 years, still have some trouble fine tuning since I switched from shower shaving to over the sink. Also, my hair became coarser. I would rather become an expert with my other fixed razors than to buy an expensive razor on impulse because it is said to be the best razor out there. Some may think that, yes. But maybe they should work on their technique with other razors and master those? I don't know.

 

[ShavePastor]

I own both the REX and Rockwell 6S. Its still too early for me to conclude. I did 2 shaves with the REX and about 4-5 with the Rockwell 6S. I find the Rockwell to be smooth for me but then again it is different for each part on my face. I use 1.5 setting on the REX for ATG on my upper lip. My last shave I used the REX and the Merkur to compare. I found the Merkur smoother but it had a different blade. Next time I will try the REX and Merkur with the same blade and the following shave will be the Rockwell 6S and the REX. I am doing half my face with each one basically.

FWIW, i would not recommend being having to save up or get rid of items to make room to buy a $250 razor, even if it was a slightly better razor because there is no such thing as the best razor. And at $250 it should be reserved to those who can care less about dropping that kind of money. I happened to have that kind of money to drop but I don't think its the holy grail. Its all in your technique.

There is no razor that will glide effortlessly on your face. All that is in your prep, cream/soap, and blade and yes mostly your technique. If you cant get it super smooth from your other DEs, I don't think the REX will be it but it can HELP you. To me it's just another adjustable and the power of adjustables helps one with their technique. In my opinion, and some may take offense to this but I feel that they are kind of like crutches. No offense to those but shaving is an art that even I, after 11 years, still have some trouble fine tuning since I switched from shower shaving to over the sink. Also, my hair became coarser. I would rather become an expert with my other fixed razors than to buy an expensive razor on impulse because it is said to be the best razor out there. Some may think that, yes. But maybe they should work on their technique with other razors and master those? I don't know.

Thanks for the feedback. I agree technique trumps the tool! But it sure is easier to get the job done smoothly with better tools IMO. I get wonderful irritation free & smooth shaves from the Rockwell 6s/c, Parker Variant, Karve, Slim, Fatboy, Gillette New SC, etc.... so it's not like I'm searching for a crutch (by the way I took no offense at all & I agree) but I do like good quality durable stuff that lasts & makes life more comfortable & enjoyable. I'm hoping & pretty sure the Rex will be that way for me, but just wanted to check before shelling out that kind of money.

 

[shawnz82]

I do believe it is a high quality razor, yes. But I did notice with a personna in there, I couldn't get it as smooth as my Merkur with a personna. And I tried different settings. I could not go over 1.75 as it is too aggressive for me. So it is indeed an aggressive razor. 1 is like a tech. 1.5 is like my Merkur.

My last shave I had a gillette platinum in my merkur for half the shave (I found this combo to be the perfect couple). My other half was the REX and personna. however, my upper lip is a different beast. I want BBS on it ATG every 3 days over the sink. This is an art, for sure. Because I was not able to achieve this ever before I had the REX. the REX allowed me to set it pretty low and go real slow on a slant and then a final ATG pass on my upper lip. but I could also use blade 2 on my Rockwell 6S and try that too.

I used a tech for 10 years straight but in the last few years have gotten terrible shaves even in the shower and have resorted to shaving every 4-5 days just to get irritation-free shaves. After re-visiting the Merkur 34c (which 10 years ago today when I was 25 was way too aggressive for me with a Derby blade), I realize that this has become my new "tech in the shower" but over the sink.

 

[shaveSymptomatic]

I pretty much agree with most that has been said here. The Rex for me is very smooth even at 6. And the head design is just awesome! Very small and easy to maneuver around all the contours of your face. I had to sell a few non-shaving things myself to get the Rex and don't regret it on bit! If you decide to get it, remember to use razoremporium's 15% off. It comes out to about $212.

 

[morr]

I found the Rex to be quite smooth, but still falling a bit behind the Rockwell. Also I experienced dragging effect with the Rex.

I also have the Gibbs and find it a bit smoother than the Rex and no drag.

If you can find a Gibbs adjustable, I highly recommend it.

 

[shawnz82]

had another shave with the REX this morning and this one seemed smoother. i used a gillette platinum in there and my prep was better so it may continue to improve. i did compare that with a rockwell 6s on plate 6 and that seemed to also shave pretty smooth on half the side. my 3 razors seem to be the REX, rockwell 6s and merkur 34c but not in that order. they all are tied for first place until further notice