This is one of the super rare diamond in the rough razor... for me at least 
What I hated in the finish of the Razorine, the razor more than redeemed itself in the shave. Easily one of the best bang-for-the-buck razor EVER. @Errol you really should give this one a run
Ah, you got to try the new Razorine Flatboy. For less than 100 AUD it's a remarkable shave!
Just ordered one. It seems thaey ship free to U.S.Golden Shave OC (Italy)
One day I’m going to surprise myself and read the full advertisement before I buy the razor. A few hours after ordering the Golden Shave I was reading the advertisement again (probably fully for the first time) and they’re talking about an open comb head and a closed comb head. I wondered which one I’d bought, turns out they are both included in the purchase price - GOLDEN SHAVE HANDMADE SAFETY RAZOR - DOUBLE HEAD – Yes, I’d seen that, but I thought the Italian translation had been a little off for double edge. One for me; I’ve paid more than the total purchase price of the razor for just one plate with some other purchases. Toss up - came down OC, so that is the subject of this review (plus, it was the plate fitted as delivered)
When I opened the packaging, I was amazed at the quality of the polished finish but as I studied the head, there was a lot of play noted around the blade post holes in the plate. This play does not seem to have any ill effect on the way the cap sits, it always lined up square as the handle was tightened, I don’t think there will be an issue but will keep a bit of an eye on it for a while. Large flats are machined at the outed edges of the cap and these mate securely with the curved top section of the plate. There are nice thick teeth on the open comb and with the polished finish it is difficult to feel them. I keep getting the feeling that I’m looking at a razor that has a lot of heritage and much in common with razors from the 1930’s era; long blade posts and a short, thin handle with longitudinal grooves running along its length add to this illusion. Thread engagement is very good and there is ample length to the handle post, but the length of the cap is marginally shorter than the plate. Getting back to the polished finish, I’ve not seen before where the underside of the cap is better finished than the underside of the plate where there are marks that look like imperfections from the stock material. It’s not that the underside of the plate is bad, but it is not finished as well as the remainder of the razor.
Karve CB Level #C efficiency, maybe a whisker more, a pleasant amount of blade feel and smooth, oh so smooth, what more could anyone want from a razor. Well, I would like a little bit more girth on the handle, it’s very much on the thin side. Longitudinal grooves along the handle afford good grip, are positive in control and make the Golden Shave very maneuverable. Fitting the Wizamet Polsilver blade made a big improvement to the shave, the performance of the Golden Shave went up a notch, the razor felt just that little bit better all around. For those who work through a selection of blades to gain optimum effectiveness, there are certainly gains to be made by your experimenting, in the two blades I used there was vast difference in performance. This razor is good, in fact, I was very pleasantly surprised and would recommend it for those who enjoy a razor on the milder side.
Blades Used – Merkur Super Platinum and Wizamet Polsilver
Material – Brass
Blade Tab – Slight exposure
Weight – 75g
Head Width – 42.16mm
Handle Length – 75.43mm
Handle Diameter – 10mm
Availability – Golden Beard
Final Word – Mild
Ooohh! Does my Ares need a mate. I could be talked into this one but maybe later, the building budget still reigns.
REX Konsul Slant Adjustable (USA)
There had been speculation for some time of another well known razor brand producing an adjustable slant razor, but it was REX who got the jump and delivered the first public release of an adjustable slant machined from stainless steel. This Konsul is one of the original 150 released in the first batch. One look at the Konsul and a family resemblance to the Ambassador is immediately obvious, similar dimensions, two piece Gibbs style bottom plate, finish and the quality of manufacture are all good indicators it was produced with the same thinking in mind. With the knob to disassemble secured inside the handle, the Konsul is for all intents and purposes, a two piece razor, the handle/ plate assembly and the cap. It’s the two piece Gibbs style plate that had me intrigued, the top piece of the plate sits square to the handle while the bottom plate has angled edges. As a blade is pressed into the Konsul’s cap for loading, the twisting of the blade in two different planes is both felt and seen, the blade has to be held in position for fitting to the plate assembly. Pressure is maintained between the edges of the plate and the cap as the knob is tightened thus indicating torqueing of the blade.
REX don’t allow for the disassembly of their adjustable razors so their internals remain a mystery. Probably my biggest disappointment in not being able to strip the razor is that any oil I manage to get into the razor has to come from the outside and I just hope that some of the liberal amounts dripped around get to their desired destination. Deeply cut diamonds machined into the handle provide not only good looks but unmatched control of the razor. Engraved around the shoulder of the handle are the easy to read setting numbers #1 - #6 with dots between. A red dot on the adjuster ring makes identification of the setting fool proof even for those of us with declining eyesight. External surfaces are presented in what I’ll call a quality satin finish except for the back of the plate where fine circular machining marks are exposed.
Houston, we have a problem - the adjusting ring would rotate below the dot between #3 and #4. Two answers came back from Razor Emporium; run extremely hot water over the razor while trying to rotate the adjuster ring, send the razor straight back for repair immediately. I decided if the hot water suggestion did not work, it would be sent back. Rippa tune Boris, a combination of boiling water, brute force and a lot of rotating of the ring has the adjuster ring rotating down to #1, that’s without a blade. Whatever thread locker REX used to seal the internals from intruders had migrated to the thread of the adjuster ring and the boiling water softened it enough to clear the fault.
This little adjustable slant with its guillotine like action is a remarkable piece, useable throughout its whole range of settings and smooth as. Combine this with a wee amount of blade feel right through its shaving range, which REX has managed to do successfully, and they’ve won me. As I often do when reviewing adjustable razors, I commenced at the mid point, setting #3. At this point, the Konsul delivered my near perfect shave and I’d have been quite happy to leave it right there for the remainder of the review and just carry on forever using it at that setting, it was impressive. Only at setting #1 was the razor a bit on the mild side but still usable. Wound up to setting #6, the Konsul was only at Karve CB level #D, so it has a spread of usability right through its range. This is the smoothest of the REX adjustables and it’s one I’m going to remember for all the right reasons. I would label the Konsul adjustable slant razor a success.
Adjustment Range – #1 - #6 (with dots between)
Blades Used – Ladas and Wizamet Polsilver
- #1 – Lower than Karve CB Level #B
- #2 – Karve CB Level #C
- #3 –Karve CB Levels #C plus
- #4 – Between Karve CB Levels #C and #D
- #5 – Between Karve CB Levels #C and #D
- #6 - Karve CB Level #D
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 104g
Head Width – 44.08mm
Handle Length – 77.25mm
Handle Diameter – 12.85mm
Availability – Razor Emporium
Final Word – A champion
I have an Ambassador and I appreciate Rex Supply Company's commitment to quality and very happy to hear their production of a slant is a success.
