About Us

Struggling with a tough beard and sensitive skin, Matt was tired of razor burn, bumps, irritation. Like a lot of guys back then, he came across an old news article about wet shaving— using a double edge safety razor instead of the gimmicky multi-blade cartridges or buzzing electrics. Broke and in college, he hit up local antique stores and grabbed a few old-school razors. The weight, the build, the American craftsmanship—it all just clicked. That first smooth, no-burn shave lit a passion for traditional wet shaving that hasn’t gone out.

What started as a hobby in a small apartment turned into something bigger. Matt began spending the weekends antique shopping to find rare and exciting Gillette sets. He started a collection of the best and sold duplicate razors and sets on Ebay. He also wanted to try new soaps to further enhance his shave results and so he set out to import soaps from all over the world. Too much product for just one man to enjoy, he began selling them to friends and family. In 2009, he launched the Razor Emporium website.

After restoring vintage razors for his own collection, Matt began fixing them up for buddies and selling extras online. Word spread fast—guys were hungry for a better shave and tired of cheap plastic. Many razors that he found while shopping at flea markets and antique shops were dirty, out of alignment, and unusable. It seemed a shame to throw boxes of razors away. Brass construction meant they could be polished, cleaned, metal bent back into place, and replated. The Revamp Service was born!

Being such a niche company in an expanding market, Matt and his team were approached daily with many of the same questions: What razor is best for a beginner? How do I strop a straight razor? What Gillette razor model do I have? Matt and his team set out to film some helpful videos to answer common questions about shaving, vintage razors, and collecting Gillette razors. These resources have helped millions of people fall in love with wet shaving. To date the Razor Emporium Youtube Channel has reached 12.4 million views with more than 50k subscribers.

Tired of long turnaround times, expensive costs, and a lack of control over quality for his customers, Matt set out on the long process of bringing electroplating in-house. He researched the chemistry, equipment and processes needed and acquired the necessary city permits to do it safely and professionally.

Inspired by the golden age of manufacturing and over a decade of experience in the shaving space, Matt recognized a need for a product that brought all the wet shavers most premium desires together: an American made, all stainless steel, adjustable safety razor. After years of research and development, the Ambassador, a world first, was born. The “REX” name was to signify the “Razor Emporium Experience” and combines all the knowledge in the industry gained since 2009 as well as the promise to Revisit Excellence found in yesteryear’s grooming products.

As the business continued to grow, a need for a larger and more permanent facility arose. Razor Emporium acquired a historic 8,000 sqft. warehouse in the heart of Phoenix that is home to our retail lobby shopping experience, razor restoration center and in-house made shaving supplies.

Sensing the changes in the market, Razor Emporium began looking for an opportunity to get into machining razor components in-house in an effort to control price and availability. By chance, another boutique razor manufacturer was looking to exit the market so a deal was made to acquire their product designs and manufacturing equipment. This milestone notes the beginning of CNC machining parts onsite and the continuation of the legacy Yates razor designs.