Thread: In need of advice!

Of course you can scale back your trip and use the saved money to buy the livi no? Sounds like a bad idea I guess.

Don't sell any of your razors unless you really have a lot and duplicates at that. The Livi will always be there.

I also advise against trading in your vintage razors. But I do understand about the cost... when I bought my Livi custom in '07 the GBP was riding high, travle was cheap, accomodation and food also. Now, the same spec blade would cost me double what I paid (according to Livi's own site), most of that down to forex movements, but also partly due to a hike in prices.

When I went to visit Mastro Livi's workshop, I combined it with a family holiday, so essentially the cost of getting there and accomodation was zero since we were going anyway. It's a good way to combine costs and a holiday in Tuscany/Umbria is unrivalled IMO.

Mastro Livi is incredibly welcoming -- maybe you could consider getting one of his NOS blanks (what are often referred to as 'regrinds') which have his wonderful custom scales. I'm told they are great shavers (as good as his own forged blades) and just as beautiful, for a fraction of the price of a full custom.