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REX ambassador first shave

well then, you and i are in the same boat. This whole wet shaving experience is just so much fun and entertaining. Also, expensive if you jump down the rabbit hole. I am holding myself back as best i can.
we all said that we wouldnt fall down the rabbit hole at some point lol, we also said this is my last razor im buying, its such a nice way to start or end your day its so relaxing and requires a bit of concentration especially when trying out new shave gear razors or blades! The astra sp is also a highly regarded blade though i havnt put one in my ambassador yet! Ive even got really good results in a fatboy with a shark blade!

Happy shaving and youll find the combo that fits your style hair and shave

Best regards,
Looney
 
The REX Ambassador is definitely more efficient but can be a bit of a demon if you do not find the right balance for yourself.
I feel like your experiences mirror that of my own when I first bought the REX Ambassador in fact I seldomly used it because in a way I didn't understand it but once I did I realised how wonderful it truly is.

Before you go out and buy a Tatara Muramasa I want you to try something. Firstly I want you to start at setting one as it seems to be where you are more comfortable with, then I want you to try to angle the handle of the razor so that it is more vertically aligned, this is what we refer to as a steep angle. You may feel the edge of the razors safety bar a little more but if you are not pressing too hard it shouldn't be a problem, you could also use that feeling as a guide to slightly adjust the razor angle if need be but for the first few strokes lets just use this as a little bit of training. Analyze your results in that area and access how well it cut and how well it felt. If it worked well and took away that harsh feeling but maybe you felt it was a little uncomfortable or much less efficient then adjust the razor angle again ever so slightly tilting the handle of the razor upwards (this is what we call steep angle) so you can maybe just feel the curve of safety bar but remember ever so slightly. If you feel it is going well in terms of comfort after a few more strokes with the razor then try increasing the settings to level 2, this is where I commonly use the razor at and find it to be perfectly fine.

I will mention that the Wizamet is also one of my favourite blades but in more recent times I have been experimenting with what some might refer to as mild blades such as the Derby Extra, Derby Premium and Tiger Platinum blades and have found them to work extremely well with razors like the REX Ambassador in fact using the same techniques and settings (setting 2) I found the Derby Extra to be maybe ever so slightly too mild as I need to do a little more on a pickup pass at the end of my 3 pass shave. I could have probably upped the settings to 2.5 or 3 even with the Derby Extra but in the end it turned out well but such is the experience and knowledge of knowing how tame the REX Ambassador can be with the right technique and blade can be an absolute treasure.
In regards to the Derby Extra blade I accept that it usually is a slight bit too mild and can result in me doing more work on a pickup pass but it is a good starting point. I find that the Derby Premium blades are much better in that they retain the mild smoothness of the Derby Extra but increase the blades sharpness just enough to remove the need to spend too much time cleaning up areas that were not super smooth after three passes.

Blade pairing is pretty important in my opinion.
Well, I have my first shave using your technique. I used a PAA soap, Cube 2.0 pre shave and a Derby Extra blade. I started on level 1.5 WTG and ATG. I dropped to level 1.0 XTG. It was a challenge to angle the razor as you instructed, but I did. AND, the shave was great. It was certainly a DFS and Close to a BBS shave. It is still a work in progress and I have to get used to the blade feel of the Ambassador, but I was very pleased. Thank you for your help.
I am curious, are there any sites that rate the blades as to mild, aggressive, etc?
 
I finally got around to getting my first shave with the Rex Ambassador i threw a black super stainless 7 oclock blade i had layin around and i was very pleasantly surprised. This razor is very heavy in the hand (which i love)it knocks down hair easy cause of this. The nice short bulldog handle is my style and no chance of it slipping out of your hand due to the machining. Wow this was a nice shave, a 300$ shave? Well lets just say the razor performed great held the blade firm and square with very little play and my gaps were on point. I like the 3 piece design for simple loading disassembly cleaning and drying. My hats off to RE for this beast razor , the build quality is top notch. I shaved only 2 passes wtg and cross and got a very nice acceptable and comfortable shave setting on 2.5 so theres much more room to adjust! Im near bbs a little stubble here or there which i could have taken more time and slowed down and i have no doubt i can get a perfect shave with this beast of steel. Id love to know if anybody picked one of these up and their experiences so far! Now will it replace my fatboy? No, not a chance, i love gillette and i love how the fatboys were built with all those parts and pieces mating into one marvelous creation! Anyone have suggestions on a new age adjustable razor that they absolutely love?
LooneyToons816, what other DE blades would you recommend with the Ambassador. You have followed my experience so you know I am a Newbie. I appreciate your help.
 
Well, I have my first shave using your technique. I used a PAA soap, Cube 2.0 pre shave and a Derby Extra blade. I started on level 1.5 WTG and ATG. I dropped to level 1.0 XTG. It was a challenge to angle the razor as you instructed, but I did. AND, the shave was great. It was certainly a DFS and Close to a BBS shave. It is still a work in progress and I have to get used to the blade feel of the Ambassador, but I was very pleased. Thank you for your help.
I am curious, are there any sites that rate the blades as to mild, aggressive, etc?
That's great to hear!
It really gets better from here. You will refine your technique and angle as you go not to mention your skill level will improve too.
Blades are terribly subject. There has been numerous people that have attempted to take a scientific approach to blades but none of them ultimately equate to real world results from one person to another. There was one website that I vaguely remember but I don't recall the name or URL right now.
I am just thrilled I was able to help in some way.



It's pretty much a personal journey but maybe this might give you some clues. Keep in mind that you might get a dud in the pack sometimes or a dud pack so don't be too closed minded and give them each a fair trial same goes for razors.
 
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That's great to hear!
It really gets better from here. You will refine your technique and angle as you go not to mention your skill level will improve too.
Blades are terribly subject. There has been numerous people that have attempted to take a scientific approach to blades but none of them ultimately equate to real world results from one person to another. There was one website that I vaguely remember but I don't recall the name or URL right now.
I am just thrilled I was able to help in some way.



It's pretty much a personal journey but maybe this might give you some clues. Keep in mind that you might get a dud in the pack sometimes or a dud pack so don't be too closed minded and give them each a fair trial same goes for razors.
Aussie, are you familiar with the Razor Blade Club. their prices seems extraordinarily low. Are they legit?
 
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Aussie, are you familiar with the Razor Blade Club. their prices seems extraordinarily low. Are they legit?
They are legit. I may have ordered from them once many years ago in the past but they no longer ship to Australia so I can't speak about them personally but I have seen many other people both here and elsewhere recommend them.
 
LooneyToons816, what other DE blades would you recommend with the Ambassador. You have followed my experience so you know I am a Newbie. I appreciate your help.
First off you are gonna need the nacet! I absolutely love them especially in the ambassador, next i would try Gillette, 7 o’clock, black or yellow or even green and then there’s the Astras SP work very well in the rex, lastly i would try personna Med Prep, eberyone seems to love the med prep but ive got mixed results on the personas.. definitely try the Gillette nacet thats my absolute favorite! One last blade that does very well is the new king c Gillette blade.. good luck and please let me know how each that you try shaves. Im voting that the nacet is gonna be a top blade for ya!

Looney
 

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First off you are gonna need the nacet! I absolutely love them especially in the ambassador, next i would try Gillette, 7 o’clock, black or yellow or even green and then there’s the Astras SP work very well in the rex, lastly i would try personna Med Prep, eberyone seems to love the med prep but ive got mixed results on the personas.. definitely try the Gillette nacet thats my absolute favorite! One last blade that does very well is the new king c Gillette blade.. good luck and please let me know how each that you try shaves. Im voting that the nacet is gonna be a top blade for ya!

Looney
got the Nacet and the Astra,(great deal for 100 on Amazon), I'll ck out the others. The reality is if I buy a quantity on each of these, I'll be long gone before I get through them. So I guess it's up to me to live long enough to use them up. LOL
thanks for the input.
 
got the Nacet and the Astra,(great deal for 100 on Amazon), I'll ck out the others. The reality is if I buy a quantity on each of these, I'll be long gone before I get through them. So I guess it's up to me to live long enough to use them up. LOL
thanks for the input.
What i do is hit up ebay, people sell sample packs of 1,2,5 blades so you dont buy 100 and hate how they shave! I think amazon also sells sample packs of DE blades! So does Razor Emporium and they use a scale with their blades, tells how aggressive the blade is. Try Maggards or west coast shaving for sampler packs!

Cheers,
Looney
 
What i do is hit up ebay, people sell sample packs of 1,2,5 blades so you dont buy 100 and hate how they shave! I think amazon also sells sample packs of DE blades! So does Razor Emporium and they use a scale with their blades, tells how aggressive the blade is. Try Maggards or west coast shaving for sampler packs!

Cheers,
Looney
Great suggestions and will do. My only worry is getting a very sharp blade with the Ambassador, it seems, for me, as a bit of overkill. Astra and the others you suggested look to be a bit milder similar to the Derby Extra. Your thoughts and I am done bothering you
 
Great suggestions and will do. My only worry is getting a very sharp blade with the Ambassador, it seems, for me, as a bit of overkill. Astra and the others you suggested look to be a bit milder similar to the Derby Extra. Your thoughts and I am done bothering you
Its no bother at all, i love to help any new shaver if i can answer their questions, this is what the forum is all about! One last thing, DO NOT put a feather in your razor! I tried it and it was wayyyyy too much, i dont like feathers but some people swear by them, i think its too sharp and aggressive lol my last warning! If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to ask away!

-Looneytoons
 
The REX Ambassador is definitely more efficient but can be a bit of a demon if you do not find the right balance for yourself.
I feel like your experiences mirror that of my own when I first bought the REX Ambassador in fact I seldomly used it because in a way I didn't understand it but once I did I realised how wonderful it truly is.

Before you go out and buy a Tatara Muramasa I want you to try something. Firstly I want you to start at setting one as it seems to be where you are more comfortable with, then I want you to try to angle the handle of the razor so that it is more vertically aligned, this is what we refer to as a steep angle. You may feel the edge of the razors safety bar a little more but if you are not pressing too hard it shouldn't be a problem, you could also use that feeling as a guide to slightly adjust the razor angle if need be but for the first few strokes lets just use this as a little bit of training. Analyze your results in that area and access how well it cut and how well it felt. If it worked well and took away that harsh feeling but maybe you felt it was a little uncomfortable or much less efficient then adjust the razor angle again ever so slightly tilting the handle of the razor upwards (this is what we call steep angle) so you can maybe just feel the curve of safety bar but remember ever so slightly. If you feel it is going well in terms of comfort after a few more strokes with the razor then try increasing the settings to level 2, this is where I commonly use the razor at and find it to be perfectly fine.

I will mention that the Wizamet is also one of my favourite blades but in more recent times I have been experimenting with what some might refer to as mild blades such as the Derby Extra, Derby Premium and Tiger Platinum blades and have found them to work extremely well with razors like the REX Ambassador in fact using the same techniques and settings (setting 2) I found the Derby Extra to be maybe ever so slightly too mild as I need to do a little more on a pickup pass at the end of my 3 pass shave. I could have probably upped the settings to 2.5 or 3 even with the Derby Extra but in the end it turned out well but such is the experience and knowledge of knowing how tame the REX Ambassador can be with the right technique and blade can be an absolute treasure.
In regards to the Derby Extra blade I accept that it usually is a slight bit too mild and can result in me doing more work on a pickup pass but it is a good starting point. I find that the Derby Premium blades are much better in that they retain the mild smoothness of the Derby Extra but increase the blades sharpness just enough to remove the need to spend too much time cleaning up areas that were not super smooth after three passes.

Blade pairing is pretty important in my opinion.
Aussie I seem to be having an issue with the constant blade feel. It is off putting. So I need your suggestion as to the Tartara or the Rockwell T 2 SS, or any other high end adjustable you would recommend. Thanks
 
got the Nacet and the Astra,(great deal for 100 on Amazon), I'll ck out the others. The reality is if I buy a quantity on each of these, I'll be long gone before I get through them. So I guess it's up to me to live long enough to use them up. LOL
thanks for the input.
Lol fo on ebay or amazon and buy some of those sample packs of 2-5 blades each! What if you hate the blade now you got 99 that you hate to use! RE sells sample packs, weat coast shaving sells sample pack and maggards sells em i believe.. if you wanna try some vintage gillette thin blades i have like 15 boxes and i could mail you one for free, ill even throw a few other blades for you to try. Just PM me and well talk!
 
Lol fo on ebay or amazon and buy some of those sample packs of 2-5 blades each! What if you hate the blade now you got 99 that you hate to use! RE sells sample packs, weat coast shaving sells sample pack and maggards sells em i believe.. if you wanna try some vintage gillette thin blades i have like 15 boxes and i could mail you one for free, ill even throw a few other blades for you to try. Just PM me and well talk!
Looney, I asked Aussie his advice so I will ask you the same. Ambassador blade feel is a bit of an issue. How would you compare the Tatara marumasa to the Rockwell T2SS? Price not a consideration. Just an efficient smooth shave.
 
Looney, I asked Aussie his advice so I will ask you the same. Ambassador blade feel is a bit of an issue. How would you compare the Tatara marumasa to the Rockwell T2SS? Price not a consideration. Just an efficient smooth shave.
This is where im useless, before i bought the ambassador i strictly shaved with only vintage Gillette's im just now trying to break into the new market of razors!! I mean i own like 12 1.95 Fatboys and like 6 slims, I absolutely love adjustables and vintage shave gear.. sorry man im no help on this question!! In the near future im gonna be buying more razors but its gonna be a minute till i purchase again
 
The REX Ambassador is definitely more efficient but can be a bit of a demon if you do not find the right balance for yourself.
I feel like your experiences mirror that of my own when I first bought the REX Ambassador in fact I seldomly used it because in a way I didn't understand it but once I did I realised how wonderful it truly is.

Before you go out and buy a Tatara Muramasa I want you to try something. Firstly I want you to start at setting one as it seems to be where you are more comfortable with, then I want you to try to angle the handle of the razor so that it is more vertically aligned, this is what we refer to as a steep angle. You may feel the edge of the razors safety bar a little more but if you are not pressing too hard it shouldn't be a problem, you could also use that feeling as a guide to slightly adjust the razor angle if need be but for the first few strokes lets just use this as a little bit of training. Analyze your results in that area and access how well it cut and how well it felt. If it worked well and took away that harsh feeling but maybe you felt it was a little uncomfortable or much less efficient then adjust the razor angle again ever so slightly tilting the handle of the razor upwards (this is what we call steep angle) so you can maybe just feel the curve of safety bar but remember ever so slightly. If you feel it is going well in terms of comfort after a few more strokes with the razor then try increasing the settings to level 2, this is where I commonly use the razor at and find it to be perfectly fine.

I will mention that the Wizamet is also one of my favourite blades but in more recent times I have been experimenting with what some might refer to as mild blades such as the Derby Extra, Derby Premium and Tiger Platinum blades and have found them to work extremely well with razors like the REX Ambassador in fact using the same techniques and settings (setting 2) I found the Derby Extra to be maybe ever so slightly too mild as I need to do a little more on a pickup pass at the end of my 3 pass shave. I could have probably upped the settings to 2.5 or 3 even with the Derby Extra but in the end it turned out well but such is the experience and knowledge of knowing how tame the REX Ambassador can be with the right technique and blade can be an absolute treasure.
In regards to the Derby Extra blade I accept that it usually is a slight bit too mild and can result in me doing more work on a pickup pass but it is a good starting point. I find that the Derby Premium blades are much better in that they retain the mild smoothness of the Derby Extra but increase the blades sharpness just enough to remove the need to spend too much time cleaning up areas that were not super smooth after three passes.

Blade pairing is pretty important in my opinion.
Aussie can you give me your opinion on the Tatara masamura?
 
Aussie, are you familiar with the Razor Blade Club. their prices seems extraordinarily low. Are they legit?
I buy from them on ebay, if its the same as your talkin about, im about to buy one pack of every blade they have on ebay and start my blade journal and rate every blade i use in detail, i plan on doing multiple shaves with multiple razors, Rex, Fatboy and im gonna buy a merker futur next month. I bought about 10 packs of blades that im waitin on in the post to get here but ive bought from them before and they never disappointed me so far
 
First off you are gonna need the nacet! I absolutely love them especially in the ambassador, next i would try Gillette, 7 o’clock, black or yellow or even green and then there’s the Astras SP work very well in the rex, lastly i would try personna Med Prep, eberyone seems to love the med prep but ive got mixed results on the personas.. definitely try the Gillette nacet thats my absolute favorite! One last blade that does very well is the new king c Gillette blade.. good luck and please let me know how each that you try shaves. Im voting that the nacet is gonna be a top blade for ya!

Looney
Looney
Well, I shaved for the 2nd time using a twice used Nacet in the Ambassador. I used the technique recommended by Aussie and I had a wonderful experience. Yes, there is blade feel, but with this new approach, the shave was smooth and nick, cut and blood free. I really had a BBS shave. Thanks to you and Aussie, the Ambassador may stay. Thanks for all.
 
Aussie can you give me your opinion on the Tatara masamura?
The Muramasa is a neat razor. I took the opportunity to shave with it earlier today using the same Derby Extra blade I have been using of late. It's on its 5th use and still doing well although I feel like the Premiums are very much the same if not sharper and slightly smoother based on my experience with it but I have not tested that blade in the Ambassador, T2SS or the Muramasa only the Apollo Light razor using plate II.

It's been relatively cold here lately so I have been wearing so higher cut and high collar clothing and it has caused me a bit of irritation on my neck especially when I do not shave daily which is something I try not to do because it comes with its own problems for me in terms of irritation but its a double edge sword because if I let it grow it gets caught on the fibres of material but if I shave daily my skin may not tolerate it very well but have been trialing out daily shaves on my neck and maybe cause the skin on my neck to build up some sort of shaving tolerance. (haha, its a theory I am running with).

The Derby Extra blades were also very well behaved in my Tatara Muramasa. I did not use the highest setting today nor did I need to which is great news for my face but not so great for testing and experimental reasons as usually the muramasa can for me be a bit deceptive. It lulls you into a false sense of security on its lower settings but from 4 to 5 it changes more dramatically especially on setting 5 (max), the blade feel becomes much more present and may cause a weeper or two as well as razor burn if you aren't careful. Setting 1 is very very mild, setting 2 is mild, setting 3 is mid mild and setting 4 is efficient whilst setting 5 is efficiency plus. I have not looked up the specs in a while but based on my experience I would say 1 and 2 are negative blade, setting 3 is neutral and settings 4 and 5 are positive blade feel.

The dimples on the handle are deep enough to give you a good grip as too does the coating/finish.

I personally do not feel like setting 5 is for me but I know many others that enjoy it, some people will also tell you that the Muramasa is too mild for them and only setting 5 is useable for them so keep that in mind also.

When you hit that Muramasa sweet spot for yourself it really delivers. My face is so smooth and irriation free so in that regard yes it was a BBS the neck however is another story. I did shave with the same blade and the Feather ASD2 to keep that stuble down, it did the trick and today I was able to somewhat tolerate a shave with the Muramasa. I would say its a DFS+ (Damn fine shave) so pretty good but not a BBS but good enough and exactly what I wanted an irritation free shave.

Maybe gather a few more opinions on it from here and look up some youtube videos on it first.

I will say the sharper the blade the more obvious that change in setting from 4 and 5 becomes as too the potential for irritation.
I am glad I have it in my collection as it's clearly a very good razor that I need to use much more often with maybe more blades. When I use this razor again I will be trialing it with the Derby Premium and maybe try setting 5 this time for a few strokes just to gauge the blade feel.
 
I buy from them on ebay, if its the same as your talkin about, im about to buy one pack of every blade they have on ebay and start my blade journal and rate every blade i use in detail, i plan on doing multiple shaves with multiple razors, Rex, Fatboy and im gonna buy a merker futur next month. I bought about 10 packs of blades that im waitin on in the post to get here but ive bought from them before and they never disappointed me so far
I believe they have an eBay store also but I don't think they carry the full range on the eBay store as opposed to their website. I look forward to reading your findings.

The Merkur futur is a razor I need to revisit. It was probably my 3rd razor. From memory it was rough on my face at any setting but it's probably been 15 years or more since I have used it and given my skill level and knowledge I can probably get decent shaves out of it and maybe even change my opinion.
 
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