Thread: Mastro Livi... Is it just me?

Originally Posted by HungeJ0e

Don't leave out my fine French blades...

Well I don't mention them for two reasons. First of all I have no experience with French blades as I have none, at least I don't believe I do. I have nothing either for or against French blades. I simply don't have any experience with them. Secondly when I say the big three what I mean is in terms of production volume. Although maybe the French produced more than what I'm giving them credit for but my understanding of production numbers is that those I mentioned were the largest in terms of total numbers.
... Now I'm going to have to go get some French razors. See what you did Joe?

I maybe a little romantic but I don't expect a custom razor to be perfect. To me it's like someone building a custom chopper motorcycle in their garage instead of a mass production machine made Honda Fireblade.
I like to see the hand of man in anything that someone has created with passion. It humanizes it, creates a link to a past forgotten.

I have Livi custom, it is not perfect but it shaves just fine, and that's ok by me. Of course it would be different if it didn't hold an edge.
However I also have a number of other custom razors where the fit and finish is outstanding.

I agree as long as it's not like that one Aldwyn posted a pic if in post #54. That's not character that's flawed. I think it's like the difference between customizing and rigging: the devil is in the details.
That one should not have gone to market. It should have gone in the smelting bin.

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

I maybe a little romantic but I don't expect a custom razor to be perfect. To me it's like someone building a custom chopper motorcycle in their garage instead of a mass production machine made Honda Fireblade.
I like to see the hand of man in anything that someone has created with passion. It humanizes it, creates a link to a past forgotten.

I have Livi custom, it is not perfect but it shaves just fine, and that's ok by me. Of course it would be different if it didn't hold an edge.
However I also have a number of other custom razors where the fit and finish is outstanding.

I don't expect anything to be perfect, ever. However, of it is a custom or bespoke item, I trust that it is made by an experienced craftsman who knows what they're doing and pays meticulous attention to details.

That, and receiving a one-of-a-kind item, is what you pay for; more often than not, dearly. Character is a wonderful thing, of course, but in the case of custom items I would regard near perfection, astonishing details and equally astonishing craftsmanship to signify 'the hand that made it', rather than the mistakes. Although small, insignificant and quite inevitable mistakes do add character, and as I said I'd never expect anything to be perfect; it would be too boring.

Faulty geometry like in Aldwyn's razor, however, is like receiving a bespoke suit with one of the sleeves two inches too short.

Regards,

Pieter

Originally Posted by Pithor

I don't expect anything to be perfect, ever. However, of it is a custom or bespoke item, I trust that it is made by an experienced craftsman who knows what they're doing and pays meticulous attention to details.

That, and receiving a one-of-a-kind item, is what you pay for; more often than not, dearly. Character is a wonderful thing, of course, but in the case of custom items I would regard near perfection, astonishing details and equally astonishing craftsmanship to signify 'the hand that made it', rather than the mistakes. Although small, insignificant and quite inevitable mistakes do add character, and as I said I'd never expect anything to be perfect; it would be too boring.

Faulty geometry like in Aldwyn's razor, however, is like receiving a bespoke suit with one of the sleeves two inches too short.

Regards,

Pieter

Indeed, some of the razors Ludo has sent out should never have left the work shop, or "Laboratory" as he calls it. It goes without saying that the geometry should be perfect.
Issues aside, the beef I have with Livis razors is the price. As said I have a few customs and the attention to detail is far superior, my Riga razor is less than half the price than my Livi but the fit and finish is so much better.

Originally Posted by Pithor

I don't expect anything to be perfect, ever. However, of it is a custom or bespoke item, I trust that it is made by an experienced craftsman who knows what they're doing and pays meticulous attention to details.

That, and receiving a one-of-a-kind item, is what you pay for; more often than not, dearly. Character is a wonderful thing, of course, but in the case of custom items I would regard near perfection, astonishing details and equally astonishing craftsmanship to signify 'the hand that made it', rather than the mistakes. Although small, insignificant and quite inevitable mistakes do add character, and as I said I'd never expect anything to be perfect; it would be too boring.

Faulty geometry like in Aldwyn's razor, however, is like receiving a bespoke suit with one of the sleeves two inches too short.

Regards,

Pieter

Like Pieter said, I am willing to accept small idiosyncrasies on a custom-built product, but no flaws that fundamentally affect the way the product performs.

As much as I won’t accept a custom-built motorcycle where the handlebars start shaking uncontrollably under certain load conditions when you lean into a turn over 45 mph/70 km/h (had one of those, albeit not on a custom bike), I won’t accept a shoddily built custom razor that is no good for shaving.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, I don’t doubt that there was a time when Livi produced outstanding razors and maybe I got to his razors too late in the (his) game, but the ones I have were overpriced, underperforming, sloppily built and I cannot even sell them with a good conscience.


B.

I paid 1750 euro plus vat and it came loads of chips in the edge I sent it back it came back 2 months later and I had to abandon the shave it was no where near shave ready lucky for me I just managed to get a refund not a full refund let me tell you and the hassle I had getting a refund was annoying

1750€ + VAT! That's ridiculous. I can live with imperfections but shelling out that amount of coin I'd be livid if it wasn't perfect. Even if it was it would never live up to my expectations.

There's something wrong with the forum again, because it looks like you said you paid one thousand seven hundred fifty euro for a razor that wouldn't shave.

Originally Posted by HungeJ0e

There's something wrong with the forum again, because it looks like you said you paid one thousand seven hundred fifty euro for a razor that wouldn't shave.

Several razors yes I must be mad