Rex ambassador - Worth the $250? Better than Gillette adjustable?

One other thing on longevity. We can't predict the future so unless you are bring new innovation to a particular product then unless you bring better working parts, materials and such how do you know. You have to use as your foundation tried and true fundamentals that have stood the test of time. That is what the vintage market tells us. The argument of tolerances is a bit disingenuous since if the blades YMMV big time and if they change the thickness or length there goes you supposed tolerance and performance selling point. The survivors tell the tale on what fundamentals worked and didn't. You also have to look at from this perspective. If one company made 1 million razors over a 5 year period and the other only 50,000 lets say 5% of each survived to now that means you should see about 50,000 of one and 2500 of the other circulate through the resale market. say about 10% stay off the market in a given year that makes 45,000 razors and 2250. So the actual market if you averaged per month rounding down is 3750 sold per month and 187 of the others sold per month.

My point here is just because there are a load of one on the market and not the other isn't necessarily an issue of tried and true fundamentals when it came to build durability as the reason. What does come up often enough you need to compare how it was built not how many are changing owners on in the resale market.

With that said are modern razors really following fundamentals here or just copying aesthetics and are they priced accordingly based on some sort of market factors and sound business principles? Besides price this is another way to measure value. If you are building a house the foundation is what determines how long until it collapses. The performance in most cases is not the issue in determining the quality and durability for razors. The only exception is when you are innovating something new and the long term results are not there yet.

If you want to know what my opinion is what the best value based on this is for razors with a safety guard of some sort are the old Gem razors from the lather catchers to the micromatic models. To answer the posters original question concerning a Gillette adjustable if go by my analysis then the question is what adjustable, what did you pay and how many of them will you need over the course of a lifetime. There will be a quiz on this.

 

The Chicago School of Economics predicates that everything can be explained in economic terms. Razor acquisition makes clear that's nonsense. Sometimes we want something just because we get attached to the idea of it. There's no rational argument for a $400 Wolfe or a $2,500 bottom dial. The desires of the heart frequently defy rational explanation. Over a long period one may be able to predict the movement of the stock market, though even that is debatable. However, without question, short term fluctuations cannot be predicted by any sort of rational analysis. There are rational markers along the way. Things like supply, which can be clearly quantified, though often demand cannot. Why does one razor become super popular while another, of equal quality, languishes? And how often does a razor go unnoticed until it's discontinued and then suddenly everyone wants it and the price on the secondary market spikes?

 

At $250 vs under $50 for most Gillette adjustables... the answer is NO. It won’t shave better. For the price what you are getting is a modern stainless steel adjustable razor. That’s pretty much it. Save your pennies and eventually you’ll see a used one on a BST thread for a significant discount. I have a lot of razors from vintage to modern and I get my very best shaves from a Gillette adjustable.

 

There is also rational and irrational reasons for making a decision. Some people were going to spend a certain amount of dollars on a razor and as long as they get something at about that price they are okay with their purchase. Some just look at something buy it because they like as long as the price tag is something they can afford. Others just have to have something to have it and will pay whatever it takes up until they can't pay. Outlier prices don't negate the overall trend. Neither do the other 2 if all the vendors are aware of each other are pricing their razors. The internet pretty much killed that whole business model based on irrational price gouging and not just for razors now that everyone has access to the same information to make a decision in this case. Demand has nothing to do with the price when price differential from estate / auction to antique shops to online is fairly consistent. The sellers are not going to sell for a loss unless they can average out the loss through buying lots and come out ahead overall. Even that falls under outlier pricing or else the whole market pricing would drop to the low end of the pricing range. Demand only has to do with turnover here not how they are priced. Demand only drives the pricing when the supply chain breaks. This is not a fixed priced thing but a range of low to high prices. Other than that the pricing changes when that pricing differential changes or someone buys out enough razors cheap enough to bypass that and undercuts everyone else or buys up the razors and controls the supply and pricing that way by creating a false scarcity of product. That breaks the supply chain and range until the potential buyers move over to the modern supply chain and pricing which is separate if you don't factor in vintage or intertwined if you do when understand the link are the buyers.

Pricing your product shouldn't be an irrational one once you understand you are also competing against the vintage market for the non collector types. If you are irrational you throw away a whole potential customer base.


As far as short term stuff goes if all roads eventually lead to Rome it doesn't matter when you understand the whole market is skewed. It is a waiting game is all if you know where Rome is located. You should spend some time reading Edward Bernays and how consumerism works right on down to when the consumers consume themselves. Here is an idea for you are the buyers or sellers really the consumers and if so who is consuming what in each case and which ones wind consuming themselves first.

Give you another hint the sellers are consuming money which is a commodity like a razor from sellers. Your whole statement about demand is completely untrue once you understand the relationships in inverse for starters.

 

Lol hot damn. And they said you couldn’t get a free education... I just got a free class in economics on a shaving forum!!!!

 

The Rex Ambassador is worth $250 if you want it and can afford it. Personally, I'm not drawn to it. IMHO, it has little to do with how it compares to other razors or the market in general. It's got everything to do with whether you want it. Many vintage Gillettes are relatively inexpensive. As far as durability goes, I doubt if anyone here will live long enough to wear our a vintage Gillette in decent working condition. If you just want a great shave, you can get by with a very modest razor. If you're able to drop 3 bills for the latest and greatest razor, you probably already have a pile of other razors anyway.

 

Are you taking about me, Charlie?

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I've gotten two of them at $5 or under. Took a while, but I got 'em.

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Did you actually read it all?

 

No I skimmed through it ... just like I did when I was in high school.

 

Worth it .... I don't know.

Do I want it ..... YES!!!

Need to butter up thew wife and kids for a great Christmas gift idea.

 

Well if you all see me with a rex it means I won the lottery. Gotta try my luck on Monday again.

I just think it's a little over the top to pay this much for a razor.

 

i like it and could buy it if i sold a crat or 2 ,but would feel obliged to use it all the time to justify the price, my other razors would get neglected..i have a fair bit invested in my british aristocrats and such,so they are my mainstay at present .if the money tree grew more branches i might buy one, but like having 5 hot rods, i would be conflicted to which one i would drive/ like the most.better for me to enjoy what i have than fuss over what i don t. however.. if i got into adjustables ...