Thread: Custom razors

DO they out perform a regular razor enough to justify spending 450 dollars on one? What is everyones opinion on Livi WIlliams etc.? Just how great are the shaves they give? They look great and I want one.

I've got two Williams razors and they shave extremely well. But that is not a sufficient reason to get one - there are other razors that also shave extremely well that are less expensive. My second one (the horn-scaled one on his website, bottom of the gallery) was made to a detailed set of specifications incorporating favorite features from eight different razors (a TIPTLE, a Puma #38, a Wostenholm Celebrated, an Engstrom frameback, a Heljestrand #32, two Watervilles, and a Morely); so while it is an incredible shaver, what made it worth the scratch is that it is *my* razor in every particular.

Wow, sounds like quite a razor. I do not have any much experience with razors so I guess I would not know what I want yet. Seems like it might be more practical to put up the extra doe and get a razor that will suit you forever instead of buying ebay specials all of the time. IN due time I guess

Found the link. This one is the one I was talking about.

Hammered diamond spine inspired by the TI Pierre Thiers LE
Tip shape from a Puma #38
Curvature by Wostenholm
Grind from a Waterville
Hammered shank inspired by a Robeson Shuredge
Jimping from a different Waterville
Thumb notch from a Heljstrand
Thinned shank from an Joh. Engstrom
Scales inspired by a Morely

I own a bunch of Maestro razors and love shaving with every one of them. Not only are they superb shavers, but they have an artistic quality beyond compare. Every one is just beautiful. The Maestro has set the standard for custom razors and continues to do so. Actually his re-grinds are outstanding shavers and a little less money as well. I also own a Zowada, a Williams and a Chandler razor and all of these are nice razors. There are a variety of other razors out there that really are superior shavers too and I enjoy them in my collection as they are different and more traditional, but at the end of the day it's the Maestro Razors and Customs that I leave out and try to shave with every chance I get. Everybody has their own opinion, but a top notch piece of art that is a top notch shave is just the ticket. Some folks like driving VW's and that is fine as is driving a nice top of the line Lexus or even a nice Bentley if that is what YOU LIKE.

Have fun.

Lynn

Originally Posted by adjustme69

I own a bunch of Maestro razors and love shaving with every one of them. Not only are they superb shavers, but they have an artistic quality beyond compare. Every one is just beautiful. The Maestro has set the standard for custom razors and continues to do so. Actually his re-grinds are outstanding shavers and a little less money as well. I also own a Williams and a Chandler razor and both of these are nice razors. There are a variety of other razors out there that really are superior shavers and I enjoy them in my collection as they are different and more traditional, but at the end of the day it's the Maestro Razors and Customs that I leave out and try to shave with every chance I get.

Lynn

Agreed, maybe some is the looks but my customs are my absolute favorite shavers.

Originally Posted by matt

DO they out perform a regular razor enough to justify spending 450 dollars on one? What is everyones opinion on Livi WIlliams etc.? Just how great are the shaves they give? They look great and I want one.

Nope, definately not IMO. You pay the extra money because they are unique works of art, made from rare materials etc etc. I've owned 4 Maestro Livi's and 1 Robert Williams (so far) and I have several other standard production razors which outperformed all of them in terms of shave quality (comfort, sharpness etc.).

That's not to say custom razors are bad shavers at all, just you don't need to spend custom money purely to get a great shaving razor.

Steelforge is right in that there are other razors that shave as well as Maestros ect,Ive got a varied collection ,Dovo Prima Klang2,Wedges 4,DovoBone handled Bismark2,Wapenica6, Maestro Livi ATs34 7/8 1.My best Shavers are inorder Maestro then Wapenica .Ive rehandled 1 with Dovo Bone handle from classic shaving.These 2 iuse on a daily basis as they both seem to suit my beard &give me BBS shaves with very little effort. At the end of the day its all down to trial&error to see what works for you.Paul

Customs come down to personal taste, Do you want something handmade and somewhat unique? For me the answer is almost always YES!!! I'm always looking for someone making custom or handmade items I use daily. My kitchen knives are getting upgraded to customs as I find what I use the most. I fully intend to get a Livi Takeda with rams horn scales by years end (I have decided frag-nabit) I think it would be a cool addition to my other Takeda knives The hard part will be surviving the wife if she finds out

My response is a resounding NO!

For pure shaving quality, there are tons of good vintage and new razors that will shave every bit as well as a custom.

However, I have a Chandler custom that I love (the price was well-below $450 - I don't want to say what I paid for it, as Joe may have changed his prices). The reason to get a custom is to have exactly what you want - especially something that falls outside the parameters of what is available in production razors. My Chandler is a barber's notched, 1/4 wedge (actually just a little shy of a full wedge) that is just over 8/8 (its massive!) with beautiful blackwood scales. To boot its made of a great stainless steel and shaves like a dream. Its a unique razor in a size/grind combination that is unavailable other than as a custom.

That being said, I have lots of great shaving razors (new and vintage) and wouldn't have bought a custom had I not wanted something unique.

To be honest, I think all the talk of custom razors is a little much sometimes and I hate to see newbies (or anyone else) get the impression that you NEED to buy a custom to get a great shave. If you want a custom and have the coin, by all means go ahead, just don't tell me you're buying it for the shave.

Let the flames from the custom-lovers fly!