Thread: My Mastro Livi razor, at last: a wonderful life experience!

Mastro Livi sometimes writes the type of steel used for making the blade. RWL34 stainless steel in this case

The Umbrian Mastro Livi straight razor with olive tree wood scales

Wow! Stunning! Thank you for sharing. The scales are beautiful too!

Originally Posted by Attila

Wow! Stunning! Thank you for sharing. The scales are beautiful too!

Thank you Attila, I am glad you liked my new Mastro Livi razor. I too love it very much and, gents, what a wonderful shave it gives!

I would not believe it could have been possible. After having shaved with my Mastro Livi Damasteel straight razor and my Mastro Livi kamisori, I would not have believed I could try anything better than that. Well, it happened. My new Mastro Livi straight razor gave me the very best shave ever, absolutely impeccable and perfect. As usual this is my post for the shave of the day thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/shave...ml#post1200888

I must say Mastro Livi was right and I too was right to ask him for his guidance and advice when I had to choose the type of steel to be used for this razor. I read a lot in this forum about stainless steels and what you gentlemen consider to be the right one for a straight razor and I asked Mastro what he was thinking about each of them. Mastro Livi has a remarkable experience about carbon and stainless steels and, at the end, we opted for two types of steel: RWL 34 and CPM 154CM.
Mastro Livi has a considerable experience on both steels and he uses both for making straight razors and knives. Both RWL 34 and CPM 154CM are being used by Mastro Livi since a very long time now - CPM 154CM since 2006 for sure - and he suggested me to have my new razor made from RWL 34 because of the type of my beard and the better results I, as a user, can obtain from honing. Not that RWL 34 is worse than CPM 154CM, but Mastro explained to me that CPM 154CM is too hard for a straight razor and it would take quite a long time for honing and get a perfect edge, in case I would ever get one.
RWL 34 is very hard as well and, as Mastro said it, it is however easier to hone, it keeps a very good edge over time and responds very well to stones and honing. He said a RWL 34 straight razor needs to be honed every one and a half or two years of shaves, provided you take good care of it during shaves and make a good use of both strop and pastes. He always stresses on the importance of stropping and to use a good strop. To him this is one of the fundamental "secrets" in order to give a razor's edge a long life. He is the Mastro, he is Mastro Livi, so I did not doubt him, I trust him and followed his advice: I opted for RWL 34.
This morning I shaved with this RWL 34 straight razor and I am very happy for the shave it gave me, something I would not believe to be possible. This razor is a real feather on the skin, it shaves like a charm and gave me the best BBS shave. A real feather I could not notice on my skin, a velvety caress. A magnificent razor. I am sure it will give me more incredible and satisfactory shaves. With this razor it has been love at first sight. Maybe it is because I feel this to be "Umbrian in soul" or even because I watched it taking life step by step from a bare steel bar, but when I saw it finished and mounted on its scale, it was love at first sight. I really like it. I like it a lot. Now I can't wait to shave with it again!

Good show, razorguy. Most informative and well done. Keep it up.

Originally Posted by Obie

Good show, razorguy. Most informative and well done. Keep it up.

Thank you, Obie. I am very proud and happy to be a Mastro Livi straight razor owner. As you try a Mastro Livi, you will forget about the rest and get addicted to it.
The truth is that I enjoy tremendously the company of Mastro Livi and visiting his workshop. He is a peaceful, kind and nice man, a real teacher always ready and willing to teach you everything he can about his art, straight razors and how to properly keep an edge.
I know I learned a lot since the day I met him for the first time. It is true he demolished many of my "strong beliefs" about straight razors, but he has also been very patient to explain and to teach me why what I knew was not "truly correct". And I must say he was right.
He is a real "Maestro" and I wish you and every straight razor lover to meet him at least once in his workshop: I know you will never forget the experience.

Thank you, razorguy. Indeed, the maestro sounds like a fascinating person. When I was doing my Conversations with Obie for SRP here, I had him on my list to interview. Alas, I was overwhelmed with writing assignments and my novel, so I had to take a break from the Conversations. When my work load lightens up in the coming months, and if the forum still wants the interviews, I'll see if I can resume them. In the meantime, I really enjoyed what you wrote — and wrote well. You do good work, my friend. Keep it up.

I would look forward to that interview Obie. I think the Mastro would make for a great interview and would have lots of good advice and information.

Originally Posted by Obie

Thank you, razorguy. Indeed, the maestro sounds like a fascinating person. When I was doing my Conversations with Obie for SRP here, I had him on my list to interview. Alas, I was overwhelmed with writing assignments and my novel, so I had to take a break from the Conversations. When my work load lightens up in the coming months, and if the forum still wants the interviews, I'll see if I can resume them. In the meantime, I really enjoyed what you wrote — and wrote well. You do good work, my friend. Keep it up.

Thank you Obie for your appreciation. I am very glad to know you appreciated both what I wrote and how I wrote. I will try to keep it up as I consider this thread a diary in which we all who own a Mastro Livi to share their comments.
I understand I am a bit lucky because I live just few miles away from Mastro Livi workshop and I am also honored to know him personally, so I can always have a direct contact with him.
The interview sounds like a wonderful idea and I am sure we all straight razor lovers would benefit from Mastro's words.
Once again, thank you for your appreciation and I am certainly looking forward in reading your interview soon.