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In the near future I plan on investing in a "Mastro Livi" razor. I certainly don't need one, but I WANT ONE! - It will eventually be passed on to my son.
I just viewed the increadable razors that Robert Williams produces, and I am in awe of his work.! Delema: I am now torn between which to choose. I know, "one of each you say". I can hadly justify one at this point. (I'll keep buying those lottery tickets. - Red neck financial security)
What would be your your choice?
Faced with the same dilemma as you, I opted for a Robert Williams. Two, in fact. I do want to get a Livi at some point though.
I don't think that you can really go wrong either way. If you look at pictures of the razors that Robert and the Maestro have made, both "artists" have their own styles of blades and scales. I think that it really depends on which you prefer. Both use top quality steel and I am sure both will shave equally well. It seems like Robert specializes in thicker grinds, while the Maestro mostly does hollow grinds; but I am sure that both could do either. If price is a serious consideration for you then Robert's razors seem to be cheaper. Also, if price is an issue you might want to check out Maestro Levi's regrinds pictured at shaveshop.uk. I am pretty sure that they can be purchased from Lynn with your choice of wood handle for about $265
I have a Meastro Livi 7/8 in olive wood &ATS34 Which I got from The Shave Shop ,(hello Vincent). Its the best razor ive ever owned for comfort &closeness of shave. Its easy to hone &strop once you get used to letting the razor do the work.I am tempted with trying Joe Chandlers &Robert Williams razors ,But I must reign in my spending.I also have a problem beard that is tough fast growing &lies very close to the skin.So if any one has any answers to help with this problem I,m always open to advice
I think Livi's stuff is overpriced.
Seems to me like Joe C. and Mr. Williams put entirely more work into finishing.
So how do you explain the extra how much $300 ? $400 ?
When I get into fancy pants razors instead of buying what someone made I will be getting something exactly like I want.
The pic is a 1/4 hollow swayback that I made bison scales for but someone stole before I got it pinned.
I will be having someone make one just like it for me this year. Probably Joe C.
Seems like you can get two of his razors however you want them for the price of one Livi.
My opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it. :p
Hey GW,Quote:
Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr
looking at those scales I would say you are an artist in your own right!!
So tell me....when are we going to see blades stamped with GW:w
I haven't seen a Williams razor in the flesh but I do have a livi and the workmanship is outstanding and there is plenty of it. You have to remember that when you start talking about custom type razors you are paying for the name to a great extent. maybe in 10 years a Williams Razor will command as much or more than a Livi. Look at the Zowada razors. There doesn't appear to be alot of workmanship in those to command the prices they go for but he has the name.
If you just concerned with a great shaving razor there is no need to even consider razors like these.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
I don't know if you are joking or not but I am perfecting the horn working process right now and expect to be offering scale blanks next month and finished scales in maybe 2 or 3 months.
Those were my first scales ever and I was a little embarrassed to post that pic since they aren't quite up to my standards.
I need to find a better way to produce the inside radius.
I hope to produce finished blades within the next year.
My goal in life is to have Livi as my cabana boy. :bow
"NEXT TIME I WANT MORE PINA IN MY PINA COLADA !!!! " :rant:
just kidding....glad you liked them
Well that's a toughie... Eventually I'll end up with a Chandler, Williams and Livi (in that order).. Already placed an order with Joe as I'm a happy regrind customer, I love his customs, he's been answering my stupid questions for years (even now lol) and the pricing was a major factor (it's really too low for that level of quality). Robert's also been very helpful to me and his work is truly outstanding, so he's next in line. The Livi will come more as a nod to Lynn and to satisfy my morbid curiosity. Based on the comments in the community, they all produce outstanding shavers, so you can't go wrong with either of the 3 (yes 3 :D) choices.
* LOL - LOL - LOL!!!!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr
Now that was GREAT! I hope to buy those scales from you some day, before you get famous, and the price goes up.
I understand you completely!Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
I suffer from the inability to determine the difference from what I need and what I want. When I was a young ladd, my father used to say to me, "son, your intelligent, but you not very G_d D__ned Smart!"
(and he was right)
Nope, wasn't kidding!Quote:
Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr
Lets see if you can handle steel as well as you handle horn!
I gotta say that all of us are really spoiled rotten!:)
We are able to chose from thousands of vintage razors each year on Ebay, look over beautiful offerings of NOS razors and now we have several brand new makers of high quality straight razors that all use steel of a quality that was never available to our grandfathers!
We are so lucky! Buy at least one of each!:)
Yea!!!!!!! That's what I really wanted to hear. Good advice! Thanks - :tuQuote:
Originally Posted by randydance062449
And you didn't listen to me when I offered the same advice :cry:Quote:
Originally Posted by zepplin
Robert Williams. No doubts about it.
No disrespect to Tim Zowada and Mastro Livi, but if I am going to buy a high end hand forged razor, I'd rather pay Robert X amount of money for something that is precisely what I want to have, rather than paying at least 2*X for a standard Zowada or Livi razor.
* I agree! After reading the posts and thinking about it, the best bang-fer-the-buck has got to go to Mr. Williams. As for a Livi, I'll just keep buyin' those lottery tickets -Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
Thank you all. This was a very nice thing to see. I do try to make sure you all get the best you can for a really good price. And if you want it, I try my level best to get you exactly what you want. First and foremost, my goal is to give you the very best shaving blade in the world and finish it off so it looks as good as it shaves. Thank you all for your support. I'm very flattered.
My RW shaves better than any other razor I have tried.
It shaves so well that I feel I can actually challenge people who say that shaving capabilities for customs are comparable to other razors and that cheaper razors can shave as well as the most expensive ones. To me - the difference is big and easy to appreciate. (For the record - I had to spend a little time to fine-tune it - but certainly not a long time, as some people had reported)
Cheers
Ivo
My advice is to buy two of each. Of course from a collecting standpoint, no offense, Maestro Livi is not exactly young anymore (may he live another 50 years),so buying a razor or two of his may be a wise investment.
But if shaving is what you want, the shave quality the RW is wonderful, it is my 4th favorite razor, the others beat it only on sentimentality. the first two are a 6/8 spike Boker that was my grandfather's and a 6/8 Satinwedge that my father gave me when i started shaving, the third is an olive wood 7/8 Maestro Livi, the first costly razor i purchased.
This all brings up an interesting point which I think is a part of human nature. Just think how many times we have bought something and we thought it was the best there is, the cat's meow, and then, we find something else which is a little bit better.
How many of us are using a razor that we would bet a thousand bucks gives the best shave possible and then we find something else and that becomes the cat's meow and then we find something else. For me the maestro was the ultimate in closeness and comfort and I would have bet it impossible to find something better. And then I got the iwasaki and it beat the maestro for closeness (I'm still working on the comfort factor). It makes you think is there a truly ultimate or are we a bunch of Don Quijotes chasing windmills in a futile attempt to find the ultimate quality which does not exist. Maybe we should just settle for a great shave and end this search. What do you think?
Well, what works for one, may not work for another. Different razors by the same manufacturer may even shave different. How you feel that day may change the way it seems to shave. If you like the way it looks and feels, go for it. I like the handmades (both making and accumulating) just because I appreciate the work that goes into them, and they're one of a kind (unless you use a CNC machine to make them). I definitely want a Zowada and Livi one day. Not because they're necessarily better than anything else out there, but because a person used their experience and skill to make it, rather than a machine churning out thousands just like it.
My first razor still gives me the best shaves out there even though I accumulated a couple that come within a c***'s hair. Still, there are some amazing craftsmen that are our members or represented by our members and I'd like to give them all a shot.
Well.....I really was not going to post on this one, but as Robert and Joe have weighed in, I can only say that the compliments regarding Maestro Livi razors are very well deserved. He has set the standard for what all custom razor makers have been and are trying to meet. I have a razor from Joe, Tim Zowada and a razor from Robert and about a dozen from the Maestro razors and my sons are already claiming these. These are some very talented gentlemen and I would have a hard time parting with any of them. As Joe says, it really is about the art and workmanship and it is also about the individual taste that matches to that piece of art.
You guys have fun.
Lynn
... sorry? you said something? ... :wQuote:
Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT
So, wanting all three ... it may be wise to start with the Mastro before he retires!Quote:
Originally Posted by syslight
Every once in a while I think of posterity too. I'd love to be able to pass down one of my special razors to each son or grandson when the time comes.Quote:
Originally Posted by adjustme69
I can't really get excited about the new razors coming from DOVO and TI; I hear about too many quality control issues, and yeah, I want to both support the craftsmen and have their artwork as part of my life! I'll probably snag a few W&Bs from eBay for re-scaling, but otherwise save my pennies for a Livi, Williams, Chandler ...
Heck, by the time I have one of each, there's bound to be a few more makers new into the game to check out!
I think we always want to compare A to B to C to see which is the best. First I think its hard to compare the Maestro to a Williams if only because there is such a price difference between them. Second the Maestro razors are more of an Italian design while the Williams are more of a Rough hewn sort of style so they have to be evaluated on their own merits.
I think its safe to say that all of the custom style razors we have available at this time are way better than what is available through the usual suspects and if you are in a financial postion to purchase these you can't go wrong with any of these razors no matter which of these guys made them. And as been said before the shave quality is not the paramount factor because many other razor that cost a fraction of the price shave equally well. It's the custom factor and workmanship that's the key here. I take my hat off to all you custom makers.
Can someone post or pm me the estimated prices of a custom Joe Chandler and/or Robert Williams razors? It's hard to compare with the other custom razors without knowing the price.
And it gives me a reality check if I'll ever be able to get one of those custom beauties.
The polite thing to do is to simply send them a PM.Quote:
Originally Posted by pokkuhlag
It is not for us to say what they will ask for a custom razor.
And it would depend heavily on what you want for size, grind, scales, ...
I didn't want to give the wrong impression of a potential customer, cause it's probably to expensive for me at this moment. (still a student for one last year (MSc ME))
But it would handy to know how long I'll have to save and with your advice, I've sent them both a pm.
What I can say is, the cost is respective of the design, materials and features you are looking for. The Livi razors are the most expensive, and the Williams and Chandler razors are comparible in price, but only the Williams is high-carbon steel (which some feel is a much better material to shave with, others do not believe this). Personally, I can not wait to try them all! The Livi's can be bought now (unless there is something special you were thinking of that is not offered), while the other two have somewhat of a line to get into before you can have yours made....(sort of like waiting to see Santa :) )
BUT, with all that said, your best bet is to PM Joe Chandler, and Robert Williams and talk with them on cost, etc.
Good luck, and being a bit of a voyeristic and vicarious group, we'd all like to see what you wind up getting !! :D
C utz
I just got both pm's back and I'm surprised. Very surprised, I guess if I find a job next year a custom razor won't be a dream anymore :).
I have just come to realize that indeed the most cheersished objects are the ones bearing the maker's name onto them; just like cars, we crave Ferraris, Lamborghini and Maserati, in razors the most cherished would be the Williams, Livi, or Chandler, all razors bearing the names of their maker, I think there is something comforting about it. These people put their names, and their reputation onto them, so that's why they are overall better shavers in the end - and I guess it's fair this way. Thiers-Issard used to probably, but no longer does maybe, I know for a fact that Mastro Livi creates each one of his razors by himself (he has no assistants or such), from beginning to end, warts and all, and I like it that way.
I think these razor can be viewed as investments as well. With the proper care, they really shouldn't lose much value even after use. Look at the premiums we as a community place on old vintage celluloid razors.
The Livi/Williams/Chandler razors are not mass produced and there is an incredible pride and craft that is rare to find in anything these days....Plus there will always be someone here that will take it off you for a good value if need to free up some cash ;) . I'm looking to get one as well but haven't pulled the trigger yet...I always thought it would be an amazing gift to pass down to my son someday.