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

Is it just me, or are his razors waaay overpriced for what they are?. I'm sure they shave great, but the fit and finish on his razors seems mediocre at best. From sloppy angles on the blades and scales to angle grinder spine work, he seems to cut so many corners. Marking the blades and scales with an electric engraver just seems super cheesey to me too.

He charges a high price that people seem to be very willing to pay. So it's clear that others see great value that I don't see. I'm curious to hear what others think about the "issues" that I see.

Buy what you like! Some people love his razors and will pay big bucks for them. It's always about what someone will pay.

Bill is correct. I have never been a big fan of Livi, but he does have a following. I can’t say what others think, perhaps you need to try one to appreciate them. It’s nice to see people make a go of things even if I’m not one of their customers.

I've had several of his razors and still have a few. I can tell you on Eboy, try and sell his razors and you get peanuts so not everybody thinks so highly of them.

His makes his razors with a rustic look to them. Some mistake that for poor quality. However, the quality is there if you examine the razors and they are superlative shavers. Having said that I don't know if he is still making them or his son is but the last one I got a few years ago was poorly made and went back. I've heard quality is not what it used to be.

They were originally pushed by Lynn Abrams and he sold them at SRD but eventually he stopped selling them.

I have one of his razors.
It's one of the lesser expensive "Grifo" models.
It is a great shaver with a nice stainless blade.
The quality is not what I expected.... mediocre at best.
Kind of poor fit on the red and white inlay. My grandson could have done better.

Pete <:-}

I think I have seen one I liked and it was older. I don't like the style of most customs I see. Then again, I don't like a lot of radical design in anything.
Just me.
Most of the ones I do like the looks of have a semblance to old factory-made Sheffields.

Jamie has some which I think are simply gorgeous. I forget who made them.


No matter the look, the quality must be there. I have had a few that looked nice to me, but the steel was iffy.
I seem to prefer the more understated designs of the makers I like. Knowing (of course) that the quality will be there.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I think I have seen one I liked and it was older. I don't like the style of most customs I see. Then again, I don't like a lot of radical design in anything.
Just me.
Most of the ones I do like the looks of have a semblance to old factory-made Sheffields.

Jamie has some which I think are simply gorgeous. I forget who made them.


No matter the look, the quality must be there. I have had a few that looked nice to me, but the steel was iffy.
I seem to prefer the more understated designs of the makers I like. Knowing (of course) that the quality will be there.

Some of his razors made 15 or so years ago used custom steel. I have one made from Takeda Damascus Steel and he was also using a Stainless Damascus Italian based. I forget the maker.

My 2011 8/8 RWL34 went off to Glen's earlier this summer to correct the shoulder / heel junction. One of my first SRD strops took a beating from the protruding side of the shoulder until I soon adjusted my strop stroke to compensate. The razor sat unused as a result.

Oh, yes, I was 2 for 2 with Livi. The heel of a Livi New Grind which was developing a tiny fish hook straight from the maker needed Glen's freehand rotary tool re-shaping expertise this summer as well.

As a newbie enamored with the romance / nostalgia of Livi, I had not noticed the imperfection 'til Glen pointed it out during a visit in 2012. By that time, I had already bought a second and last (i promise) Livi.

Live and learn.

Originally Posted by Speedster

My 2011 8/8 RWL34 went off to Glen's earlier this summer to correct the shoulder / heel junction. One of my first SRD strops took a beating from the protruding side of the shoulder until I soon adjusted my strop stroke to compensate. The razor sat unused as a result.

Oh, yes, I was 2 for 2 with Livi. The heel of a Livi New Grind which was developing a tiny fish hook straight from the maker needed Glen's freehand rotary tool re-shaping expertise this summer as well.

As a newbie enamored with the romance / nostalgia of Livi, I had not noticed the imperfection 'til Glen pointed it out during a visit in 2012. By that time, I had already bought a second and last (i promise) Livi.

Live and learn.

That was always my gripe with Livi's razors, the way the heel & stabiliser were done. I think it's common with knifemakers turned razor makers.

I think a lot of the pull is not many custom makers offer such thin hollow grinds if that is your thing. The other thing is, even if he asked more it's not really in the cards if you are expecting perfection from Italians. You are buying into an aesthetic a lot of the time.