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Pearl all brass adjustable - "Flexi" pre-booked

Maybe the pictures they have on their website are not of a totally finished product. This looks rough and uneven to meet too. Hopefully this is not the final product.
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I just ordered one as well. Came down to 97 USD to Belgium.
They're quick to respond to emails and told me that they will be shipping the first week of November. Payment to be made upon shipment, normally through PayPal.

I hope this lives up to my expectations, been looking for a modern adjustable razor as I always keep going back to my Executive Fatboy.
 
I just ordered one as well. Came down to 97 USD to Belgium.
They're quick to respond to emails and told me that they will be shipping the first week of November. Payment to be made upon shipment, normally through PayPal.

I hope this lives up to my expectations, been looking for a modern adjustable razor as I always keep going back to my Executive Fatboy.


I got an email for a personal name etching on the razor in a variety of fonts. They are really making it all come alive !
 
So does anyone got the razor? I just saw a video from Kevy Shaves and he also have the Rex Ambassador and according to him, the Pearl feels very similar and the differences are mostly the finish, the weight (Rex is made out of stainless steel while the Pearl is made out of brass) and that the knurling on the Pearl isn't as good. 75$ for a brass adjustable seems like a good deal to me.
 
I saw a tear down that wasn't very flattering. I had to take it with a grain of salt considering the source, but the head came slanted and most of the insides are uncoated metal, so prone to quick deterioration. Not to mention it's a pretty blatant copy of the Ambassador.
 
I saw a tear down that wasn't very flattering. I had to take it with a grain of salt considering the source, but the head came slanted and most of the insides are uncoated metal, so prone to quick deterioration. Not to mention it's a pretty blatant copy of the Ambassador.

I saw that and thought It was just created to rip down the razor..canted razor head sitting on a table ? That's definitely suspect.

I have a bad copy of the Rex Ambassador which wasnt set right.

If Rex is inspired by the GIBBS, why is the video crying foul that it's a Rex rip off.

The whole video is definitively created with prejudice against the Pearl adjustable. Besides it didn't surprise me that the Facebook forum where this was created has RE on it too !
 
I saw that and thought It was just created to rip down the razor..canted razor head sitting on a table ? That's definitely suspect.

I have a bad copy of the Rex Ambassador which wasnt set right.

If Rex is inspired by the GIBBS, why is the video crying foul that it's a Rex rip off.

The whole video is definitively created with prejudice against the Pearl adjustable. Besides it didn't surprise me that the Facebook forum where this was created has RE on it too !

Personally, I'm ok with recreations of out of production razors like the Gibbs, especially considering the recreations allow you to get something like a Gibbs that actually takes standard DE blades. That being said, while the geometry of the Rex is decidedly Gibbs-like, the construction is not. Matt took everything he knows about adjustables and combined that to creat the Ambassador in Stainless steel. The Flexi geometry and construction are not just based on the Ambassador, they are very nearly copies.

I get it, not everyone can afford an Ambassador, and because of that, I'm sure Matt knew this was going to happen at some point. He probably should have created a brass version himself at a lower price point and then people wouldn't have been quite as tempted. But as I've gotten to know more of the artisans and how much money and time are invested in creating the originals, it's gotten harder and harder for me to stomach the blatant copies.
 
Personally, I'm ok with recreations of out of production razors like the Gibbs, especially considering the recreations allow you to get something like a Gibbs that actually takes standard DE blades. That being said, while the geometry of the Rex is decidedly Gibbs-like, the construction is not. Matt took everything he knows about adjustables and combined that to creat the Ambassador in Stainless steel. The Flexi geometry and construction are not just based on the Ambassador, they are very nearly copies.

I get it, not everyone can afford an Ambassador, and because of that, I'm sure Matt knew this was going to happen at some point. He probably should have created a brass version himself at a lower price point and then people wouldn't have been quite as tempted. But as I've gotten to know more of the artisans and how much money and time are invested in creating the originals, it's gotten harder and harder for me to stomach the blatant copies.

I have a Rex and a few Gibbs Adjustables I bought for my sons and you’re right, even though they look similar my Rex is certainly is not built like a Gibbs. I don’t have threading issues on my Gibbs, tightens up without having to go counterclockwise to seat it. My numbers are aligned properly so I don’t have to guess what setting it is on. I can use any blade in any of my Gibbs and get a smooth shave. I didn’t have to deburr any of my Gibbs razors. It does take me about 10 seconds to trim blades for the Gibbs, but it takes me about the same amount of time to actually load my Rex upside down in the palm of my hand so that evens out.

I might try the blatant copy of the poor copy after all. If it shaves halfway as good as any of my Gibbs, might sell that Rex that has been sitting at my work office for late days and buy two more of these for my sons.
 
I'm seeing a flood of reports all over the place about the horrible QC on the Flexi.

Not surprising though as I've always had bad experiences with the Indian razor brands.

After getting 3 dodgy Parker variant razors, I have up fully on domestic brands.
 
Since it is sold out, gives me an excuse to put my RAD on hold and wait until the Flexi reaches the Pearl Amazon page.
 
I have no hope one way or the other whether this razor is a success. I like the design and might pick one up later, but with that said, I still say the only issue is the new spring needs to be broken in. Either with use or by working the baseplate up and down on it’s largest gap when you first receive it.

Watched Kevy’s second video, I had watched his first previously. Based on what he was saying, if it lines up great on setting one and also lines up great on setting 3, again, the spring needs a little work. The spring is favoring one side after those initial settings. The gentleman talking about tolerances at the end of Kevys second video talked about what he thought were issues with gaps in the shaft . All of my Gibbs also have a larger gap space in the shaft/neck area in relation to the outer tubing and I have no such issues with the four I own.

The Gillette adjustables had collets which basically keep everything in line on a rail so the spring tension underneath had no bearing on whether a new spring would favor one side or the other during break in. Without that rail, a new spring might favor one side or another initially as it is only pushing the baseplate up without a rail to keep it honest.

My best advice to anyone that has that issue with this new razor is to open up the gap all the way to 6 without a blade inserted. Affix the cap. Put both of your thumbs on the sides/ends of the baseplate and push the baseplate up all the way up to where the gap is closed and let it go down. Work it up and down at a fast pace for up to about 5 minutes or so and this will solve the issue.

As I mentioned previously, I had the same thing happen with one of my Variants and a VB Emperor. The gap was perfectly straight on all settings for both razors after those springs were broken in. I think an easy fix for Pearl would be to break in these springs while the razors are being packaged.
 
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