With full WTG and ATG passes (and a chinward XTG pass along my jaw only, it’s a tight BBS result that I’d say is only a bit worse than the Ambassador around my chin, maybe because I continue to be wary of the slant’s blade angle. The Ambassador is built and sold via Razor Emporium. I asked Matt Pisarcik, owner of Razor Emporium, about how the Ambassador came about:

Our DeLuxe finish combines the best of Rex Supply Co. super shave experience and the best of Razor Emporium’s Revamp Service. These stainless steel safety razors are enhanced by high mirror polish and plated with precious metal. Smoothing the machine finish of Marine Grade Stainless Steel increases the shave experience in smoothness and efficiency and adds value to this heirloom razor. There is a 2 to 3 week turn around on Upgraded razors. The handle is about the same size as the standard Progress (shorter than the long-handle Progress or the Variant) but it’s deeply knurled handle provides an excellent grip. I find the weight and balance likewise excellent: the “heft” is there without getting cumbersome. This razor is also being “OEM’d” under a number of other brands including Van Der Hagen, River Lake, Shave Factory, and others. Qshave ParthenonNow 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. I tried out various settings and found setting 3 was the highest I needed to use. Setting 1 or 2 was good enough, even for three or so days of growth. Last night, at 3.5 setting, it rated about a 9 on satisfaction, between comfort, close to BBS, and overall efficiency. Tonight was 6-7. Lots of blade, which I like, but it left me a touch raw. I can certainly learn to run it wide open, but the quality of shave at the lower setting makes it more academic than anything. However, despite these details I did not personally care for, I found the over-all shave experience to be good. Weishi Nostalgic Adjustable What do you think about adjustable razors? Be sure to share this article and leave a comment below!

Matt: “We decided to develop the Ambassador after years of working on Gillette Adjustable safety razors. For over 8 years, Razor Emporium has serviced Fatboys, Slims and tons of other great vintage Gillette razors and realized that they were a design everyone could like – you can dial in the shave you want. Customers love them and would often ask if there were any modern adjustable razors similar in construction or function. While many vintage models existed, there few modern options available. We drew inspiration from historic models like the Gibbs Adjustable, but also incorporated features that brought the razor into a modern, CNC production world.” I used setting 6 on four days of growth and it was a little aggressive for me. I toned it down to setting four which was fine. 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. The Flexi seems to be positioning itself as a mid-point razor–offering more design details like a serial number and upgraded metallurgy–but not quite into the “premium” category.

Shaving With An Adjustable Safety Razor

Viking tweaked the design again for the Emperor Meiji adjustable safety razor. You can read my review here. Rex Ambassador Setting 5 – Hardy skin, coarse facial hair, prone to razor bumps and ingrown hairs, short beards, shaving every 5 – 7 days.

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. Unlike the Progress and Variant (where the bottom dial also adjusts the razor) the Flexi has a second dial under the head for adjustment. I find the adjustment dial easy to use even with hands during a shave and the adjustment range quite wide. If you are a shaver who likes to adjust a razor “on the fly” you shouldn’t have any trouble with the Flexi. 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. 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.I have some problems with the design, though. The un-textured handle can make holding the razor awkward. The the razor’s large(-ish) head can make getting into tight areas like under the nose a challenge. And the “window” of the adjustment range is biased a bit high for some who wish the low end of the range was even lower/milder. The Weishi Nostalgic Adjustable safety razor is the third of the triplets mentioned here and my favorite of the three. (note that there is a non-adjustable “Weishi Nostalgic” as well, so be sure to read product descriptions carefully). It seems to me that more thought was put into the design details this razor features. 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.