All true, and for our further edification (plating substrate hardness and ductility aside) - as a point of reference, Zamak (an alloy of zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper) is mostly zinc, with a Brinell (HB) hardness of 80 to 100-ish, depending on the alloy (316 stainless steel is 149, chrome plating is 197):
Rex Ambassador vs Merkur Progress - is the price difference justified ?
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All true, and for our further edification (plating substrate hardness and ductility aside) - as a point of reference, Zamak (an alloy of zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper) is mostly zinc, with a Brinell (HB) hardness of 80 to 100-ish, depending on the alloy (316 stainless steel is 149, chrome plating is 197):
If you care for a "100% USA Made Stainless Steel Razor" then yes. I've got my Rex and love it but it's hard to justify the original price as a European. Thankfully I got it second hand so I can't complain 
Maybe at 150 it would be more reasonable. The Merkur Progress is great at that price point (for reference the Rex costs 235 euros here and the Progress 65 euros) but when compared to the material and shave quality of the Rex it falls behind IME. I feel like the Progress has some minor chattering, also Merkur isn't known for the best of quality. Muhle razors are waaaaaay better in terms of German craftsmanship, sadly they don't make a Progress. Why not give the Parker Variant and Pearl Flexi a go? I haven't tried them myself but they seem to be getting great reviews. It looks like the Variant although Indian made may be of better quality than the Progress and 100% brass If I am not mistaken.
Maybe at 150 it would be more reasonable. The Merkur Progress is great at that price point (for reference the Rex costs 235 euros here and the Progress 65 euros) but when compared to the material and shave quality of the Rex it falls behind IME. I feel like the Progress has some minor chattering, also Merkur isn't known for the best of quality. Muhle razors are waaaaaay better in terms of German craftsmanship, sadly they don't make a Progress. Why not give the Parker Variant and Pearl Flexi a go? I haven't tried them myself but they seem to be getting great reviews. It looks like the Variant although Indian made may be of better quality than the Progress and 100% brass If I am not mistaken.Pearl is brass , Variant is not.
My Progress may not last forever but it's 40-45 years on already and I'm fairly certain will outlive me. I'm perfectly happy with it and prefer it to heavier razors like the Rex and Flexi.
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I can assure you that a mold never can hold on that longer without having to be rebuild or having to be completely replaced. I worked in a plastic company a long time ago and mold needed to be replaced every couple of years at the maximum and plastic is a LOT less hard on the mold when used then metal one and temperature is way under what's need for metal. This is without saying that the "tolerance" is not at all the same for a razor even tough its Zaman then what I use to make in that plastic company.
That being said, it also depend on how much razor their making at the same time with one mold and how much razor they're selling in a year... One mold could last a couple of years if they only need one week to produce the razors they need for a year, but still, it cannot withstand 70 years of labor without having to be at least rebuild. And finally, the machine and technology used isn't the same today as it was 70 years ago even if we're talking about the "same" razors!
No, I well recognize that the original molds are not still in use; however, there has been no redesign, so the original dies probably are. Equally, unless they've gone to MIM (obviously not with zamak), they are using only slightly evolved machinery/technology. We see the same thing with overseas DE blade production- most factories are using marginally updated Gillette licensed tooling. Merkur doesn't make a "bad" razor, but let's not give them too much credit for innovation or cost-to-value improvement for the consumer.
I have both and I like each of them for their own merits. The Progress was introduced in the fifties and us still in production, so it is a classic razor. Mine was dropped and abused before I rescued it, but cleaned up well. There is a hairline crack in the handle, so we'll see how long it lasts. It's only been a few months and so far it is fine and hardly noticeable.
The Rex, while inspired by a 1940s Gibbs design, is a thoroughly modern razor. It was CNC machined from stainless steel, technology and material that was not available when the Progress was brought to market.
The watch analogy is spot on. You simply don't have to pay a lot of money to get a great shave.
The Rex, while inspired by a 1940s Gibbs design, is a thoroughly modern razor. It was CNC machined from stainless steel, technology and material that was not available when the Progress was brought to market.
The watch analogy is spot on. You simply don't have to pay a lot of money to get a great shave.
The Progress was my only razor from 2013 until I joined B&B. I also have the Pearl Flexi. Still need more shaves with the Flexi to fine tune my technique and better acclimate myself to the feel of the razor.
I can state that, even after shaving with 100+ additional razors, I still really like my Progress (now Opgress).
I can state that, even after shaving with 100+ additional razors, I still really like my Progress (now Opgress).
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Thanks gents. All the good advice is much appreciated.
You're not going to get any significantly better shaves from a "high end" razor compared to your standard Merkurs, EJ89, or vintage Gillettes. It's more about buying a made in the USA razor with a lot of very precise and artistic touches, not the shave itself.
If all you care about is shave quality, then none of the big name razors are worth it. An $80 RazoRock Lupo or Gamechanger will get you a great shaving stainless steel razor for a third or fourth of the price.
A guy in another thread said that Rex refused to honor their warranty for him. That's pretty much a complete non starter for me if I'm going to pay that much for a razor.
I have Timeless razor and it's by far the most beautiful and most expensive in my collection, but it's not really any better than the EJ89 that I shaved with for almost a decade with no problems.
You have to really want to appreciate the workmanship to buy these kinds of razors. I can't really justify something like a Wolfman because even though I enjoy razors and shaving, I'm not passionate enough about razor collecting to be able to appreciate and enjoy something that nice in this particular hobby.
If all you care about is shave quality, then none of the big name razors are worth it. An $80 RazoRock Lupo or Gamechanger will get you a great shaving stainless steel razor for a third or fourth of the price.
A guy in another thread said that Rex refused to honor their warranty for him. That's pretty much a complete non starter for me if I'm going to pay that much for a razor.
I have Timeless razor and it's by far the most beautiful and most expensive in my collection, but it's not really any better than the EJ89 that I shaved with for almost a decade with no problems.
You have to really want to appreciate the workmanship to buy these kinds of razors. I can't really justify something like a Wolfman because even though I enjoy razors and shaving, I'm not passionate enough about razor collecting to be able to appreciate and enjoy something that nice in this particular hobby.
Why did REX decline to honor their warranty? That allegation surprises me, and I'm skeptical of the claim. What were the stated details?
Razor Emporium.
Edit to add: Yes, I own an Ambassador. I thoroughly enjoy it. I do not unreservedly recommend it because of the seller. They are still unfortunately a gamble.
If you're asking whether one shaves any better than the other, then the answer is no. I have both and I enjoy using both of them. If you're asking whether the Ambassador is worth its price tag, then that's very subjective. My answer is yes. When you handle and use the Ambassador, it very much feels like a $250 razor. The Progress very much feels like a $60 razor. Again, both shave great, but you can definitely feel the difference in the price tags when you use them.
Every shaver has their own set of criteria and how they weight each item in that set.
As I stated in my previous post, I still really like my Progress but the feel (and results) I get from the Blackland Vector, Blackland Blackbirds, Timeless Ti Slim and Wolfman WR2 is a step above the Progress or the Flexi. Worth the extra dollars? Folks need to answer that for themselves.
YMMV.....
Don’t forget about the Gillette Slim and FatBoy
I'm not really into adjustable razors although I do own a slim And a fatboy. But if I was (into adjustables) I'd much prefer the far superior material build quality of the Rex. I'm not a fan of zamak or merkur at all. I've had 2 zamak razors (one a merkur) fail on me due to corrosion. Never again. I want NO part of a razor material that depends on a micro thin layer of plating to prevent its rusting away.
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
In fact, in B&B more than once, someone mentioned that there was rust/tea stains inside the AS-D2 and there were photos, and even ti timeless someone had posted similar photos (but we all know that titanium will not rust).
The more likely reason for these situations is that the blade itself has undergone potential difference corrosion, which contaminates the razor with tea stains.
It’s because of this issue that I take my blade out, dry off the blade and razor, and put it back together (minus a blade) after every shave, now that I have a couple of stainless steel razors.
I'll say it again, this is what makes B&B the best! Thanks for this handy chart which is making me reevaluate my thoughts on Titanium razors. Mind is now blown.
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