Although visually quite similar there are some aspects of the 2000S that set it apart from the Futur. This razor has a wider range of adjustment compared to the Futur, especially at the low end. And as you might expect at the price point, the Ming Shi/Qshave does “cut a few corners” in manufacturing. For example, the dial markings are painted on instead of etched in like the Futur. Some users report the printed dial numbers wear off after extended use.

DeLuxe G: Polished and plated in hard acid 24K Gold to allow the gold’s deep yellow color to sparkle and more durable gold finish. 24K Gold is the purest form of Au at 99.9%. Cleaning of the razor would be similar to any gold jewelry; best carried out by a professional or specialized Gold cleaning products. As well as the Parker and other adjustables mentioned above, the Merkur Progress, and its customised variants Digress and Mergress, is a decent zamak razor, which I find "mild", and the two best-known vintage Gillette adjustables, the "Slim" and the "Fat Boy", are on the "mild" side at the lower end of the dial. The Ambassador razor is “Made in the USA” and designed for a lifetime of use. Each razor features an individual serial number and a manufacturing code that adheres to the classic Gillette® product dating system. This razor comes with a lifetime warranty.My usual shave routine with an adjustable razor is to start with a 3.5 for WTG and then switch to a 2.5 for ATG and touch up. Doing that with the Flexi for my first shave made me realize that I had to adjust that a little as the 3.5 shaved closer to the 2.5. Later when I compared shaving with both razors, I started with 4 on the Flexi and 3 to finish off. I found this to be the equivalent to my usual 3.5 and 2.5 on my Ambassador. As far as shave quality, I had to admit that it was a tie. both razors were very comfortable and efficient to use, and I ended up with a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS for both. I'm a collector of adjustable razors. The Rex Ambassador is my #1 razor of them all. Always a perfect BBS shave. Thank you for making this razor! Unlike an adjustable razor like the Merkur Futur, it is very good at offering blade gap options between mild and aggressive, giving almost any person a level that can work for them.

For pure performance, regardless of price, I have to go with the Rex Ambassador. As you should expect from an artisan-made, premium-priced razor the Ambassador is exceptionally well engineered, well-built, and well-balanced. For the best price/performance ratio, I would give the nod to the Parker Variant. The Viking’s Blade Emperor “Meiji” version comes in a close second. Serial Number – Rex Supply Co. has followed in Gillette’s footsteps and laser etched each model with its own personal serial number. The old Gillette dating system (2018 = N, 2019 = O, 2020 = P and R = 2021, etc.) has been used. When I decided to take on making the first American adjustable since Gillette, I knew it was going to be an audacious goal. First, I had never made a razor before and second, it was a complicated piece of machinery at 8 pieces and 2 springs. The amount of variables present here is exponentially greater than a 3 piece razor. However I wanted to make a splash in the industry and do something that hadn't been done. The availability of the adjustable safety razor, once relegated to a niche’ within a niche’, has recently expanded with a number of new models available over the past couple of years. How do they work, who is making them, and how well do they perform? Is the adjustable safety razor now finally something to consider as mainstream in traditional wet shaving? This is a major update of an article originally posted a couple years ago!Fit and finish. This is were I'm going to ding the razor, and hard. The razor shows obvious machining marks, small scratches here and there and, most infuriating, mine had a dark tool mark on the top of the cap and a tool mark on the end cap. It also has tooling marks inside the lather holes. The name ‘REX’ had many meanings when we chose it. Formally, it stands for Revisit Excellent. It Latin, it means King. But to me, it means Razor Emporium eXperience. After years of retailing, repairing, and collecting razors, I feel it’s only the next evolution. We want to incorporate the best from the past and present and provide a line of products that make you feel like a king in your bathroom. Grooming can be fun or it can be a chore. We want to help men everywhere get the best shaves possible – and we want to create high quality products that aim to do so.” DeLuxe P: Polished to a dazzling luster with super smooth High Mirror Finish. Marine Grade Stainless Steel leaves a machined finish, our DeLuxe P smooths the metal to create an incredibly smooth and bright finish with no plating needed. Earlier versions of the Pearl Flexi adjustable razor had design and build issues, particularly with blade gap and alignment. These appear to have been solved.

Let me start by saying any razor can be aggressive, either adjustable,3 piece,TTO,single edge. ..I introduced myself to wet shaving 5 years ago....My humble advice to you is to keep practicing your technique & gain your shaving confidence...I understand your urges to dive in and get those lovely looking razors i myself have four Adjustable razors Parker Variant, Weishi 2.0, +two, Ming Shi 2000s. (Merkur Futur Clones) they all provide me with excellent shaves, but all are very assertive and to use them you must have good technique & shaving confidence along with good preparation. While I had very good and close shaves from the Merkur Futur I did feel that under any shaving circumstance, I could easily get by with using setting one. This would not justify having a razor with all these settings unless I started to need them. When you first hold The Ambassador XL you’ll immediately notice its quality. This double edge safety razor is manufactured from marine-grade stainless steel for maximum durability and ease-of-use. It is perfectly weighted and balanced and features an extra long “Sure Grip” handle that makes the razor easy to hold, even when wet. Materials and Finish – Made from 316L marine grade stainless steel for strength, durability and longevity which most stainless steel safety razors are made with. The stainless steel has a brushed finish.

Shaving With An Adjustable Safety Razor

All three of these razors are two-piece designs so in that respect it is an “apples-to-apples” comparison. How Is The Ambassador Adjustable Razor Shave Experience? First, the heft and weight of razor are great. I believe it weights in at 102 grams. The knurling is really good, and it is deep. Very grippy. I'd give the feel of the razor a 9/10. Viking tweaked the design again for the Emperor Meiji adjustable safety razor. You can read my review here. Rex Ambassador Now in its second design design revision, the Rex Ambassador adjustable safety razor is a premium, artisan-made razor. Although physically a bit smaller than some other razors in this roundup, it is a high-end, stainless steel adjustable safety razor and individually serial-numbered following the old Gillette manufacturing code. The razor’s head is noticeably thinner than competing products, making detail work like shaving under the nose easier.