Thread: I'd like your opinion on which razor to buy

Originally Posted by SteveS

That would be my pick . . .

Thanks, guys for the input.

After much thought, I think I will go with a Robert Williams "Special". A little more than I had planned on, but in the long run, I know I will be much happier. I am already!

Regards,

Steve

I would advise you to get the Williams Razor the only advice is to discuss the balance issue and get a scale material that will give you good balance in the razor. I think Williams Razors are an absolute steal for the price considering the quality.

My only other feeling here and I don't know what your experience in shaving with a straight is, if you have been shaving with a straight for awhile then great but if you haven't I would tell you to use a variety of vintage razors of all sizes brands and grinds and then you will appreciate that Williams Razor alot more.

good choice, i am very jealous. after i get more use to str8s i will be hitting up papabull for one of his 'specials' also. so darn cool. complete custom for such a great price.

please be sure to show it off when you get it!

cheers,
ryan

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I would advise you to get the Williams Razor the only advice is to discuss the balance issue and get a scale material that will give you good balance in the razor. I think Williams Razors are an absolute steal for the price considering the quality.

My only other feeling here and I don't know what your experience in shaving with a straight is, if you have been shaving with a straight for awhile then great but if you haven't I would tell you to use a variety of vintage razors of all sizes brands and grinds and then you will appreciate that Williams Razor alot more.

I've been str8 shaving for about four months now. In my opinion, I feel I am at the head of my class in the department of shaving. I started with a Feather and I feel that has helped my shaving technique a lot! In fact, I have never cut myself! (except my fingers) The only thing I used to get was a few weepers from time to time (mostly due to pushin' the blade too much), but every shave lately has been absolutely exemplary.

My honing, at this time, is going quite well. I am now able to bring not shave razors to become excellent shavers. I now reley mostly on my Coticule to maintain my edges. Ironically, stropping has been a real chore for me to perfect. -but that's coming along, too.

I feel I am becoming very profecient in regard to the whole package of str8 razor shaving and maintaining the razors. Honing, I know, will be a lifetime of learning, and I look forward to learning all I can.

I think about razors every day. I go to bed thinking about razors. I dream about razors, shaving, honing, even soaps , ect.. - and I wake up thinking about.....you know what! Sometimes I think I'm goin' crazy. My family thinks I'm a PITA, cause that's all I talk about; all the time.

Yea, I'm ready for anything!! Bring on that 11/8....

Steve

Maybe it's time to get out a bit more, after the shave?????

Originally Posted by OccamsRazor

Maybe it's time to get out a bit more, after the shave?????

LOL, LOL,LOL,.......I can't stop laughing; and you're right, I do need to get out more. What do you think I'm thinking about when I do get out?????

I'm sure someday when I am just doing maintenance and have gained a lot more confidense and knowledge, my brain will quiet down.

Steve

I can hardly think that a Livi Regrind is like slapping a Citroen Logo onto a Ferrari, shavewise this comparison does not do justice to these razors. Slapping a Ferrari logo onto a Citroen won't make the Citroen a better car, agreed, but the Livi Regrinds are simply blades that were not hollowed by the man himself - the holloness was determined when creating the original cast, more than 70 years ago probably.

The quality of the steel is excellent, and after more than 70 years, these blades were restored as they had just been forged. They are excellent shaving razors, so there is no Citroen lurking underneath, these are honest to God razors, and you can shave wonderfully well with them, just like any of the other choices in this post.

Once I sent to Mastro Livi a useless Stainless Steel Dovo I bought at an high street London Store, to see if I could have it sharpened (as an experiment, Mastro Livi unfortunately does not have enough time to provide this service, otherwise I know he would), when I got it back it was another razor altogether, the Dovo had become an excellent, outstanding razor, to me it had become a "Livi", Dovo merely provided the raw material - and the material was indeed excellent, Mastro Livi merely turned an ugly frog unto a beautiful prince.

Originally Posted by vschwager

I can hardly think that a Livi regrind is like slapping a Citroen Logo onto a Ferrari, shavewise this comparison does not do justice to these razors, which, by the way, I personally own and use with much satisfaction.

No insult was intended. I am sure they are fine shavers.
But so are the Wapienicas and they only cost 10$. According to Iwan his Wapienica did at least as good (shaving wise) as his maestros.

If I'd buy a maestro, I'd buy it because I want to have a beautiful handforged art piece.
The regrinds do carry his name but he did not forge them himself.
If those blanks had been sold on ebay or wherever, they would not have cost so much. So in this case I really think that the price is inflated solely by the fact that they carry his name.

I still shave very well using DE blades, from time to time I do it, it is very cheap and quite efficient, I have no problem with that :-)

I don't know if you have seen the status of these blades when Mastro Livi bought them, but these blades were entirely covered in rust, and had to be polished and honed. There was a significant amount of work that went into them, since they were merely "blanks" that had to be brought back to a serviceable state, so I would not discount too much the effort that went into making them, the price also reflects this, if Mastro Livi has to grind a razor from scratch, the price soars, due to the fact that the man can only make one razor a day - at most.


Cheers

We are still talking about 2 different things

I understand that it takes a long to restore a rusted over razor. I do that myself and I easily spend 12 hours per blade. of course I only have some simple tools.
I also undersand that he has to ask that amount of money to make it worth his time, and I understand that the price is so high because of it.

But that does not mean that the blades themselves are worth that much.
Because Livi is a famous smith, people buy them and they get a quality razor.

Back to the wapienica example. Say someone has a 10 euro wapienica and it is completely rusted over. It takes me 12 hours to completely clean up the blade, clean up the scales and hone it. Lets say I ask 50 euros for all this work (just a number I pulled out of thin air).

The total price for that razor is then 60 euros. The blade has now cost 60 euro, but its inherent worth is still only 10euro.