For sometime I had been considering the purchase of a Mastro Livi razor, recently I decided to do so. Following considerable research and reading many posts on the various forums I placed an order with Vincent from http://shaveshop.co.uk/ for an 8/8 razor with a spike point in the Takeda/Damascus steel with Elk scales.
This year I have purchased 2 8/8 razors by Robert Williams, both with Sambar Stag scales; I am very impressed with these razors and have a preference for such scales. Considering that I already had two razors with Stag scales I went with Elk for the Livi razor.
It is important to have confidence in the party that you are ordering from at all time and even more so when the item is an expensive razor that most people will use for the remainder of their life. I was very impressed with the quality of service that Vincent provided, he kept me well informed during the ordering process and replied promptly to any questions that I had.
The razor arrived this week and having shaved with it four times I can say that I am very impressed with its feel, balance and overall quality. Initially I was surprised by the weight of it , or more accurately how light it was. This needs to be viewed in light of the two Robert Williams razors that I normally use, they are both ¼ hollow ground with heavy scales, these are beautiful razors however some may say that they are too heavy for them.
The Livi was shave ready for the box, it may benefit from a touch up on an Escher though. The shave was smooth and comfortable with no pulling at all. I have not yet found it to give as close a shave as either of my Robert Williams razors however I always find that it takes a number of shave for me to get used to a razor and then get the best out of it.
As for how easy or otherwise the razor is to hone I cannot say at this stage, so far I have not even given it a touch up, others have said that there is no significant issues with honing these razors.
I would recommend anyone interested in a high end razor to put money aside for a Livi (or a Robert Williams), this is a quality razor in all aspects. I took the position that I would rather have 3 or 4 excellent razors than a large number of cheaper razors, that whilst they may be good do not have the characteristics that I desire. In a world of mass production it is refreshing to own razors that have been handmade with skill and care.
This year I have purchased 2 8/8 razors by Robert Williams, both with Sambar Stag scales; I am very impressed with these razors and have a preference for such scales. Considering that I already had two razors with Stag scales I went with Elk for the Livi razor.
It is important to have confidence in the party that you are ordering from at all time and even more so when the item is an expensive razor that most people will use for the remainder of their life. I was very impressed with the quality of service that Vincent provided, he kept me well informed during the ordering process and replied promptly to any questions that I had.
The razor arrived this week and having shaved with it four times I can say that I am very impressed with its feel, balance and overall quality. Initially I was surprised by the weight of it , or more accurately how light it was. This needs to be viewed in light of the two Robert Williams razors that I normally use, they are both ¼ hollow ground with heavy scales, these are beautiful razors however some may say that they are too heavy for them.
The Livi was shave ready for the box, it may benefit from a touch up on an Escher though. The shave was smooth and comfortable with no pulling at all. I have not yet found it to give as close a shave as either of my Robert Williams razors however I always find that it takes a number of shave for me to get used to a razor and then get the best out of it.
As for how easy or otherwise the razor is to hone I cannot say at this stage, so far I have not even given it a touch up, others have said that there is no significant issues with honing these razors.
I would recommend anyone interested in a high end razor to put money aside for a Livi (or a Robert Williams), this is a quality razor in all aspects. I took the position that I would rather have 3 or 4 excellent razors than a large number of cheaper razors, that whilst they may be good do not have the characteristics that I desire. In a world of mass production it is refreshing to own razors that have been handmade with skill and care.
