Rex Konsul Review: Is This Adjustable Slant Worth $349?
Welcome. Two days of growth, and we’re going to take it off with the Rex Konsul from Rex Supply. Adjustable slant, 316L stainless steel, starting price $349. Unsponsored. No freebies. Just what I found after putting it through all three passes.
Loading the Blade
The Konsul is a two-piece razor. Unscrew the bottom, lift the top cap off, and set your blade in. I’m loading a Gillette Silver Blue today. Blade goes on the baseplate, top cap goes on, and before you thread the handle back you want to pinch the assembly with your fingers so the blade is seated properly on both sides. Then tighten up and check the alignment. Even and centered.
Razor Specifications
316L marine-grade stainless steel, made here in the USA. The standard finish starts at $349 and goes up from there. This is not a cheap razor.
Weight is 106 grams, height is 87mm. The adjustment dial runs from 1 to 6, and blade gap increases as you go up the scale. There are multiple ways to approach an adjustable. Some shavers start high and step down each pass, some build up. I pick one setting and stay there. I used 3 for every pass in this review.
The razor is slightly top-heavy. You feel it. The dial mechanism and the mass of the head push the balance point up. I’ll explain how I manage that grip-wise once we get into the shave.
One other thing worth knowing: at this price, you do get a lifetime warranty. At this tier, you should also expect all-metal construction throughout. The Konsul delivers that.
Soap, Brush, and Lather
Today’s soap is Can I Call You Rose from Soap Palooza. I think it’s rose and oud, and the scent is very nice. The residual slickness from this one is excellent.
For the brush, I’m using my Timeless handle with a 26mm Regal synthetic knot I picked up over the weekend. Very soft. Synthetic knots don’t need a soak, but I let it sit in water for a couple of minutes anyway, then wring it out completely before loading.
I want to say something about how much soap to use, because I see a lot of people waste soap without knowing it. I loaded a small amount into my bowl, two rounds of water roughly 15ml total, and the brush came out completely covered with more lather than I needed for three passes. You don’t need heavy loading. You don’t need thick, dense peaks. You need cushion and slickness. A thin layer of well-hydrated lather does both. Your soaps will last significantly longer once you stop overloading.
I don’t use pre-shave. Don’t think it’s necessary. Hot water on the face, a good scrub so the hair stands up, and you’re ready.
First Pass: With the Grain
This razor bites if you let it. Minimal pressure is not a suggestion here, it’s the whole game. Hold the razor lightly, let the head do the work.
One thing I noticed right away: there’s a slight suction effect during the stroke. The razor seems to draw the skin in a little, cut, then release. I think it works. The skin gets slightly closer to the edge, the slant cuts cleanly, and then it lets go. Effective.
Post-first-pass: excellent on the cheeks. Pretty decent on the neck. Residual slickness from the soap carried well.
Second Pass: Across the Grain
Left to right. Same approach, same setting. Minimal pressure.
For eight out of ten people, this is where you stop. Two passes with this razor and you have a great shave. The cheeks and jaw are clean, the neck is smooth, you’re done. No need to push further if BBS isn’t your goal.
Third Pass: Against the Grain
For anyone chasing baby smooth, here’s the third pass. I went back in with a fresh application of lather. I think I added slightly too much water this time, which loosened the slickness a little, so the residual wasn’t quite as good as it could have been. Something to watch.
A few problem areas needed a couple of extra strokes. One short touch-up pass after the main ATG was all it took to clean those up.
Alum Test and Final Ratings
Alum block on after the rinse. Slight feedback in my usual spots. Nothing on the neck. Nothing significant. Good result.
On value: I’m calling it okay. Not good, not poor. Okay. USA-made, 316L steel, a proper adjustment mechanism with moving parts, lifetime warranty. Once you factor all of that in, $349 lands in a defensible place. I’m not going to tell you it’s a bargain, but it’s not without justification either.
Fit and finish is good. The knurling holds, the razor doesn’t slip. The diamond pattern isn’t quite as grippy as the super-knurl on my RazoRock handles, so I stopped short of excellent, but it’s a solid hold.
Balance is good. Yes, it’s top-heavy, but just slightly. I braced my pinky below the handle and held a little higher than usual toward the head. That corrected for it immediately. If the imbalance were more pronounced, the score would be lower. It’s not.
Hair removal is the Konsul’s biggest strength. The slant head mows it down easily. Aggressiveness at setting 3 is very good. A slight bit of blade feel is present, but it’s controlled, not harsh. Post-shave feel was one of the best I’ve had. My test is checking regrowth at 12 hours. With the Konsul, it was minimal. That tells me the shave was clean at the root.
Overall score: 82.5 out of 100. Very good razor.
One practical note before you order: this razor is chunky. It won’t fit most typical razor stands. You’ll want to sort out storage before it arrives.
Thanks for watching, and if you have questions, leave them in the comments. That’s what the channel is here for.