Thread: Mastro Livi Razor Club

Thanks Razorguy & Stefansup. I have been around the block or the world enough times to know when to listen to others who know what they are talking about. My Grifetto will never see a hone.

For anyone who might be reading this thread who has never had the opportunity to enjoy a shave with a Mastro Livi razor, you are a long way from ever enjoying a smooth shave. Many of my friends think I am crazy using a straight razor because I might cut myself and they will not go near one. Well that’s something they have to get over. I have never cut myself- a few nicks, but nothing a styptic pencil couldn’t fix.

Another factor was the high cost of a shave in a men’s boutique shaving salon where a shave is $35 and it will end up costing $50 by the time it’s all done to have someone to shave me using a straight razor. I’d rather do it & enjoy doing it myself. I find it relaxing to be honest. The sound of the razor easily cutting the whiskers is like music to my ear. One might easily rationalize is that if they had to go have a $35 shave every day that they could purchase 1 or 2 Mastro Livi custom razors every month! <smile>

I note there are 3 sizes of Mastro Livi loom strops. The large one is huge. The small one looks good for travel, but that’s the size I’ve seen the Mastro use. Any suggestion on what size works best? I imagine it depends on the person using it.

So I ask the club members, what size Mastro Livi strop will allow me to best enjoy my Mastro Livi razor until I grow tired of it? While I am on it, it is necessary for my razor to “rest” a day between shaves? This is another thing I’ve been told by many. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by Backhertz

Thanks Razorguy & Stefansup. I have been around the block or the world enough times to know when to listen to others who know what they are talking about. My Grifetto will never see a hone.

Don't get me wrong: every razor in the world will need to see a hone sooner or later and, of course, Mastro Livi razors are no exception. A razor will need to be honed sometimes and this depends on many factors, last but not the least, the quality of the razor itself. As far as I can tell, in two years since I am using Mastro Livi razors no one of them ever needed to be honed or passed on chromium oxide paste. They will certainly need that sooner or later, although I guess this will be in a long time from now.

Originally Posted by Backhertz

Many of my friends think I am crazy using a straight razor because I might cut myself and they will not go near one. Well that’s something they have to get over. I have never cut myself- a few nicks, but nothing a styptic pencil couldn’t fix.

Many of my friends think the same. They keep on shaving with electric razors - or disposable multi-blade razors - and really cannot understand the joy of shaving with a straight razor while keep on saying shaving is a daily chore. They simply cannot understand and we all know this. By the way: the worst cut I have ever had in my life while shaving was with a well known disposable multi-blade razor, many many years ago. And I still remember that.

Originally Posted by Backhertz

I note there are 3 sizes of Mastro Livi loom strops. The large one is huge. The small one looks good for travel, but that’s the size I’ve seen the Mastro use. Any suggestion on what size works best? I imagine it depends on the person using it.

Mastro Livi loom strop is available in four sizes: large, medium, small and travel. As a matter of fact, the travel size has been especially made for me. I have a small one and I was complaining to Mastro Livi about the fact his small loom strop could not fit in my hand luggage. He was listening to me and agreed his loom strop, although small, could be a problem to travel with. The day after he phoned me and he told me he had made a travel loom strop for me, with my happyness and joy.
Now I have a lovely travel loom strop which perfectly fits in my hand luggage and making me a happy traveler! :-)
As a matter of fact, in his laboratory Mastro Livi uses both the long and medium loom strops.

Originally Posted by Backhertz

So I ask the club members, what size Mastro Livi strop will allow me to best enjoy my Mastro Livi razor until I grow tired of it?

Both my small and travel size loom strops serve me excellently. The longer, the quicker the job, of course. I would suggest a medium size strop - this is the size Mastro Livi suggests the most - although I would suggest a small one. It is an excellent strop, no matter the size.

Originally Posted by Backhertz

While I am on it, it is necessary for my razor to “rest” a day between shaves? This is another thing I’ve been told by many. Thanks in advance.

Some say this is something to be done, some say it does not matter. As far as I can tell, this is something negligible. When I travel I usually bring with me just one razor and use it for shaving every day and for more than a week. Never had any problem: a good hand palm stropping is all I needed to have a perfect shave.

Hello Backhertz, until a few months ago I too thought it was better to keep resting razors at least one day and did a monthly rotation, but then 'I realized that in this way I was losing a lot about the quality' of each individual instrument that needs many days to understand and feel it "sing" on the skin. Now I take a razor and I use it every day for at least a month, I love it !!
I own 3 Mastro Livi's strops, the small, the media and the travel and all are equally efficient. The media can do more steps to X 'long, but the small you can pull more' easily, both are perfect, perhaps agrees that small for the cost more 'down !!
Very important to follow the steps on the strop as you see in the video and that is' always X, only in this way the razor's edge is perfectly lucid and shaving is fantastic!

I believe my next purchase will be a Mastro Livi medium loom strop. I would like to make a pilgrimage to see Mastro Livi so I can benefit from his knowledge/experience in selecting another razor for me. I was wondering if anyone knows what the typical waiting period is for a custom Mastro Livi straight razor?

Originally Posted by Backhertz

I believe my next purchase will be a Mastro Livi medium loom strop. I would like to make a pilgrimage to see Mastro Livi so I can benefit from his knowledge/experience in selecting another razor for me. I was wondering if anyone knows what the typical waiting period is for a custom Mastro Livi straight razor?

It depends on how busy he is. Sometimes it can take few weeks, sometimes even months. And, of course, visiting him and watching the making of your own razor is priceless.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am very proud to add to our club my new Mastro Livi razor "Rasoio Italiano". To know more about its making: http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ml#post1520152

Mastro Livi "Rasoio Italiano" Stainless Damascus Steel

• Blade: 8/8 Full Hollow, Spanish Point
• Steel: Mastro Livi Artisan Martensitic Stainless Damascus Steel, Zebra Pattern
• Scales: Black African Ebony. Italian Flag inlays: Jade (Green), White Turquoise (White), Coral (Red). Middle plate: Fossil Mammoth Ivory with Jade, White Turquoise and Coral inlays
  

Here's my entry to the Mastro Livi Club.
I got this in the post Today.
It's a 7/8 shoulderless Damascus Inox blade.

Gentlemen, I am very proud to add to our club my Mastro Livi "Pennello Italiano" (Italian Brush). To know more, please read here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ml#post1531984

Mastro Livi Pennello Italiano (Italian Brush) - Silvertip Badger - 24 mm knot
(Front View)

Handle composition (from top to bottom)

• Stainless steel ring
• Olive burl
• Makassar ebony
• Juniper wood
• Pau Violeta
• Two-Color Amboyna Burl
• Italian Flag Inlay: Jade (green), White Turquoise (white), Coral (Red)
• Stainless steel plate hand signed by Mastro Livi

Mastro Livi Pennello Italiano (Italian Brush) - Silvertip Badger - 24 mm knot
(Back View)

Notice the red colored amboyna burl in the bottom

I just bought my first Mastro Livi yesterday. She's shipping from Denmark so it well be a couple days. Thanks to my job for all the ot I was able to buy a beautiful piece of art.

Originally Posted by Miketig

I just bought my first Mastro Livi yesterday. She's shipping from Denmark so it well be a couple days. Thanks to my job for all the ot I was able to buy a beautiful piece of art.

Congratulations! It is a beautiful masterpiece! It looks like a beautiful RWL-34 stainless steel with buffalo horn. Just beautiful! What about the size?