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Shave Report: My Mastro Livi 7/8" Damascus blade

I've been wanting a Livi for a long time, but the prices have always held me off. Luckily, I was able to trade for one last week, thanks to one of the fine gentlemen on this site. Here's the thread I got it from: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/273913-Livi-n-large

That thread also has better pics than I can provide.

The razor has a 7/8" Damascus blade and is scaled in abalone. It has the usual Livi work on the back and the grind is excellent - like a 3/4 hollow. It's a beauty. When it reached me yesterday, this is what I beheld -

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(Forgive my crappy pics - they don't do the thing justice).

The previous owner had indicated that he couldn't bring himself to use it, and that it may not be shave ready.

When I got the blade, it was shave-sharp, but I was a little concerned about how the edge looked under the lights. Still, I thought that I'd give it a shot without honing it first, as it could have been the original Livi edge, and I wanted to see what it was like. So, I stropped it and got it ready to go.

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So, today was my first shave with it.

I could have waited until I had a really thick growth, but I'd have to wait until the weekend for that (can't go in to work unshaven).................and that was never going to happen. :lol: So, it was my usual 24 h growth that the blade had to deal with.

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A hot shower made up the prep. I used my 80's Plisson HMW (by far the best brush I've ever used) to whip up a nice lather with AlRaz's Bodega SC in my SRD scuttle. And then I got to the shave part.

Well, it was shave-ready. The shave was

A) Smooth
B) Close
C) Comfortable

.....and what more could you ask for, really?

It was as good a shave as I've ever got. The razor was noisy, reflecting the hollowness of the grind. It was very easy to guide around the face, the grip was good, and the balance was nice. It did feel like a large razor, but it wasn't unwieldy (but then, I have used a 19/16" Josh Earl chopper, so nothing is going to be unwieldy after that). Two passes and touch-ups, and my face was smooth.....as I like it.

An excellent first shave, and I think the blade is shave-ready, so I'll leave the original edge on for now. I may hone it to my tastes later.

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Now is this worth the price?

If you're a newbie, and you're thinking of getting one of these, expecting it to shave better than the blade you got from WhippedDog.......well, you may be disappointed. In my experience, as long as a blade holds an edge, it will probably shave was well as any other blade (assuming the grind and width match your preferences).

Yes, a $20 ebay special that's been well honed could give me as good a shave. I wasn't expecting the shave to be any better than any of my other straights. Money spent on these customs is not spent to get a better shave. It's more like spending money on a work of art.

So, yes - it is worth it. The build quality is amazing! It is very beautiful! It feels right, and works right! Call it an expensive bit of functional art. And call me a happy user. :001_smile

One thing I must reiterate - the grind on this Livi is hollower than the grind on any of the other customs I've tried. Most custom razor makers don't have access to a dual-grinder, and that limits how hollow they can get their blades.

I've had two other damascus blades. The steel used in this one is medium heavy. My Chandler has a thicker grind, but it feels lighter than this one. They're both excellent blades, and it would be wrong to compare them. You can't compare the scent of a Jasmine to that of a Rose.
 
Beautiful razor and great review. I'm sure you won't have a problem enjoying it for many years to come.
 
Beautiful. Though the price is out of what I would pay for a razor, it is a work of art that I would be proud to own if I had the means to get one. That will be an amazing family heirloom.
 
Beautiful. Though the price is out of what I would pay for a razor, it is a work of art that I would be proud to own if I had the means to get one. That will be an amazing family heirloom.

It may be a family heirloom eventually, but it will have to skip one generation, as I have two daughters and no sons. I doubt my wife would let either of them use a straight for leg shaving, and I hope they don't need their faces shaved. :lol:
 
It may be a family heirloom eventually, but it will have to skip one generation, as I have two daughters and no sons. I doubt my wife would let either of them use a straight for leg shaving, and I hope they don't need their faces shaved. :lol:

60 years from now someone will be posting a picture of that on the 2072 version of B&B asking, "Need more info - just received grandpa's straight razor. Anyone know anything about this?"

And a 90 year old Kentos (with a gray beard Spock avatar) will say "Yes, I've seen one of those before..."
 
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60 years from now someone will be posting a picture of that on the 2072 version of B&B asking, "Need more info - just received grandpa's straight razor. Anyone know anything about this?"

And a 90 year old Kentos (with a gray beard Spock avatar) will say "Yes, I've seen one of those before..."
:laugh:, indeed.

Beautiful razor, congrats!
 
So I take it you're not going to be trading it to me anytime soon.....:crying:

I have a Livi new grind and it really is one of my best razors. Takes an amazing edge better than most eBay specials I've come across. This was however after I tweaked the edge to my honing preferences. They truly are works of art (especially his customs).
 
One thing I must reiterate - the grind on this Livi is hollower than the grind on any of the other customs I've tried. Most custom razor makers don't have access to a dual-grinder, and that limits how hollow they can get their blades.
AFAIK Livi doesn't have a double grinder either. If you have the DVD that came with it there's a segment with him making a razor from cutting out the blank to making the scales and it shows him freehanding the full hollow grind on a single disk grinder. Pretty amazing to see. The man is a real craftsman. I've got two of his Takeda san mai blades, and they are wonderful both as art and shavers.
 
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