Thread: The True Story of Mastro Livi "Classic" or "New Grind"

Originally Posted by lz6

Thanks for sharing your research on the blanks that many of us enjoy shaving with. I am reading this with my breakfast coffee and grapefruit and you have brightened my day with
this history. Most kind of you bring this story to us. Thank you.

Dear Bob,
thank you for your truly appreciated words about my video and post. It is the appreciation of you all giving me the will and enthusiasm to make more videos to be shared with you all.

Thank you very much indeed.

all we know is they are made from carbon steel and are made by forging and molding process. This is evident by simply inspecting the blanks: the flash mark of the molding process is absolutely evident.

Interesting read.

More likely steel that was pressed out of the original blank when it was forged by a trip hammer or drop hammer in the "closed die" forging process.

Razorguy
Thanks for sharing this great story, it is a treat to watch the master at work.
Enjoy the fruits of his work

Razorguy Thanks for the great information I am glad I was able to get one of the "Classic" New Grind Razors before they were all gone It is one of the Finest shaving razors I have.

Thanks for the info! I always wondered about these particular razors from Master Livi.

Originally Posted by Wullie

Interesting read.

More likely steel that was pressed out of the original blank when it was forged by a trip hammer or drop hammer in the "closed die" forging process.

That is exactly the process I was talking about and trying to describe. Isn't it called "forging and molding process"? The blanks have been forged in the way shown in your video. I supposed it was called "forging and molding". Isn't it a "mold" comparable to a "closed die"?
Thank you for clarifying this process.

Wow! What a great read and video. Another contribution to the wealth of information on this site.

Originally Posted by razorguy

That is exactly the process I was talking about and trying to describe. Isn't it called "forging and molding process"? The blanks have been forged in the way shown in your video. I supposed it was called "forging and molding". Isn't it a "mold" comparable to a "closed die"?
Thank you for clarifying this process.

Well, sort of. Without picking the fly poop out of the pepper, metal molding is done with molten metal which is poured into a mold.

Closed die forging is just that. The metal is heated to a plastic state and then hammered/pressed to the shape of the die. It is "molded" by the dies, but the process is not known as molding.

Great sport eh?

The edge you spoke of is known as flashing. That term applies to both molding and forging. It is very noticeable on rough blank and does look like a seam from a mold. The flashing is usually removed in either a trim die or by grinding.

A poured blank would not have as much strength as a forged blank. Forging compresses the steel and shrinks the molecules to make a blank tougher.

Having been around the closed die forging industry, I would imagine that those blanks were punched from plate and then forged.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Wullie

Well, sort of. Without picking the fly poop out of the pepper, metal molding is done with molten metal which is poured into a mold.

Closed die forging is just that. The metal is heated to a plastic state and then hammered/pressed to the shape of the die. It is "molded" by the dies, but the process is not known as molding.

Great sport eh?

The edge you spoke of is known as flashing. That term applies to both molding and forging. It is very noticeable on rough blank and does look like a seam from a mold. The flashing is usually removed in either a trim die or by grinding.

A poured blank would not have as much strength as a forged blank. Forging compresses the steel and shrinks the molecules to make a blank tougher.

Having been around the closed die forging industry, I would imagine that those blanks were punched from plate and then forged.

Hope this helps.

Very clear, thank you. It was clearly my mistake with the translation process. My apologizes to you all.
The blanks, as suggested by Mastro Livi, have been made by forging steel, then put it in a "closed die" and "molded" by a trip hammer.
Thank you for clarifying the differences of the two methods.

Wow, I love watching a master at work. I can really understand how it all comes together now. Enjoy your razor and thank you very much for the information and video.