... with the Rex Ambassador adjustable safety razor
The Pre-shave: Proraso red
The Brush: The Big Jock synthetic brush
The Cream: Executive Shaving Bay Rum
The Razor: Rex Ambassador
The Blade: Feather Hi-stainless
The Post-shave: Bay Rum Aftershave Balm
The Shave:
This was an epic shave in all respects, on account of three new products from Executive Shaving (namely the Big Jock synthetic brush and Bay Rum shaving cream and aftershave balm) plus - yes, there's more - plus my first time trying out the Ambassador from the Rex Supply Co.
I'd read a lot and watched a lot of reviews about the Ambassador, so had that slightly odd feeling - as I loaded it with a second-use, Feather Hi-stainless blade - that I was about to be let down in the face of such a formidable reputation. It's why I've never watched The Blues Brothers or The Omen: people have gone on about them so much I feel sure that watching them will be a disappointing anti-climax.
The stories I'd heard about the Ambassador were the stuff of legend. I'd heard about its smoothness in shaving, how it was able to deliver a BBS shave without you barely even realising you were shaving. I'd heard about its build quality, how it had been forged from Martian steel in the hot lava at the earth's core*. How Thor himself** had wielded it in battle***. How could the Ambassador possibly, possibly live up to all this?
But it did.
The build quality is top notch (as you would hope, considering its price tag), it has a nice heft to it without being ridiculously heavy, the adjustment controls**** are pin-point precise and - and here's the most important part - it delivers one hell of a comfortable, close shave.
I started with the grain on setting number five against a two-day growth*****, then increased to setting number six for the second pass across the grain and back right down to setting number three for the final against the grain pass. Now, I might well have been dreaming this next bit, but Matt Pisarcik of Razor Emporium and Rex Supply Co fame appeared through a glowing portal in my bathroom as I finished off my shave and asked me, in deep, booming, echoey tones, what I thought of the Ambassador. Well, Matt, I said. I can quite honestly say that was one of the smoothest, most comfortable shaves I've ever had. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say it was one of the closest too. Matt simply smiled thinly and responded with a stern, Never doubt me again and faded backwards through the portal, making strange shapes with his hands******.
So there we have it. The hype - such as it is - is true. The Ambassador is a fine, adjustable DE razor. It may shave better or worse depending on the blade you use. But I'm more than happy with the shave I got using a Feather Hi-stainless and don't see any reason why I need to try any others.
* Well, ok. Maybe not.
** Yes, Thor himself. As opposed to Thor as played by Chris Hemsworth.
*** Again, not strictly true. In fact, not true at all. I totally made that up.
**** I don't know why, but the use of the word 'controls' here amuses me. It's so overly dramatic about something actually quite mundane. It makes it sound like I'm flying the Millenium Falcon through an asteroid storm or piloting the TARDIS through a black hole, when what I'm actually doing is moving a small dial to change the gap underneath the blade on a safety razor.
***** Very unlike me. But I knew I wanted to try out the Ambassador and I wanted a decent bit of growth for that very reason, so I managed to avoid shaving my cheeks and chin for an extra day. I must confess, though, to shaving my neck area as I realise it's there that causes me the most irritation (in mood, not skin irritation) if I leave it for longer than a day. There's only so far I'll go.
****** Actually there's no maybe about it. I definitely dreamed it.