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

A very good and pleasing day. Yesterday a small grooup of Italian wet shavers came to Perugia and took part to a meeting organized at Mastro Livi workshop. It has been a very interesting and pleasing day where participants had the chance to personally see the making of Mastro Livi Grifetto, as well as learning how to properly honing and stropping a straight razor. Moreover, Mastro Livi wanted to make a special straight razor for this occasion and the ones interested in having this razor, had the chance to take home a very exclusive and special straight razor. There are just three of them and I am one of the lucky ones who owns it, sharing this privilege with stefanosup and another fellow from Bergamo, northern Italy.
We also had another special guest at this meeting. I am sure most of you gentlemen here know about PannaCrema shaving soap - an Italian hand made shaving soap - and the maker of this soap too was present, not to mention, he too is a wet shaver enthusiast. He was also very kind in giving each of us a tub of his PannaCrema soap: a very appreciated and kind present.
The meeting started at 10:00AM and we all have been welcomed by Mastro Livi and his family - the ones who know them, know how kind and warm they are in opening the doors of their shop and workshop to everyone - and we visited the knife workshop in which Mastro Luca Livi - Mastro Livi's son - makes stunning kitchen, collectible and sport knives, also showing us the tools he uses for the making of his beautiful knives.
We then moved to Mastro Livi workshop - just few steps away from the main shop - where Mastro Livi showed us the making of Grifetto, from the grinding of the blade blank to signing.
In the afternoon, we had a private lesson in which Mastro Livi taught us how to properly hone a straight razor, how to strop it in order to keep the edge and to get the best satisfaction in shaving. Mastro Livi has been very open and willing to teach us everything he could, also explaining how and why we should do things properly in order to keep the edge in very good health. Not just a lesson, but also a practical explanation of facts by providing explicit elements on what he was teaching. A very high educational lesson.
At the end of the day, the maker of PannaCrema shaving soap personally tested the straight razor Mastro Livi made for this occasion - the razor's name is "Perugia 13.12.14" and it is made from the very same stainless steel used for Grifetto - and, of course, he used his own soap for the test. He said he was very impressed by the razor and the quality of the shaving. I guess it is also because of the new formula of his soap, which seems to be very promising.
A beautiful day in which we all learned a lot about razors, honing and stropping, but also a pleasing day in which I met good friends all sharing the very same passion and good company.
I sincerely hope a new meeting will be organized soon: an absolutely fantastic experience! It would also be wonderful to organize a meeting with the members of Straight Razor Place: I am thinking about that, although I understand it is not so easy for most of you coming to Italy and all the rest. Never say never!

Mastro Livi talking about the making of his straight razors and Grifetto



Mastro Livi teaching how to hone a razor



Mastro Livi teaching how to use chromium oxide paste with a strop



Stropping on chromium oxide lesson



Stropping on leather lesson



Mastro Livi teaching hand palm stropping



Shave test of "Perugia 13.12.14", the straight razor Mastro Livi made for this very special occasion. There are just three of them and I am one of the lucky owners!



The maker of PannaCrema shaving soap lathering his face with his soap. He was the one who tested "Perugia 13.12.14" razor



The maker of PannaCrema shaving soap testing Mastro Livi "Perugia 12.13.14" straight razor

A very special shave. This razor has been made by Mastro Livi in occasion of the meetup in his workshop with some Italian wet shaver enthusiasts and it is made from the very same stainless steel used for Grifetto. Also the shaving soap has something to do with yesterday's meetup as it is a very kind and appreciated present the maker of PannaCrema soap gave to all participants. I must say I am very impressed by my new Mastro Livi "Perugia 13.12.14" as well as the new formula of PannaCrema shaving soap, for and absolutely smooth and velvety shave.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am very proud to show you my newest Mastro Livi straight razor: the experience goes on.

Mastro Livi "Perugia 13.12.14", 15/16 Full Hollow, Spanish Point

• Steel: Stainless Steel
• Blade: 15/16 Full Hollow, Spanish Point
• Scales: Cocobolo

razorguy ....... congratulations on the latest razor you had made for you. It is a very beautiful razor. I really like the blade configuration with the notch on the lower side where the shank transitions into the blade. The "Perugia 13.12.14" is nice as well, but my tastes lean toward the "Grifone" because of the blade design and I may be a bit partial to the scales. I think it would be awesome in the new stainless/carbon Damascus you mentioned earlier.

thank you CaySea, I am glad you like both razors. The scales of "Perugia 13.12.14" are simpler when compared to those of "Grifone". I can't wait to see the new stainless/carbon san mai Damascus razor finished and with scales mounted. Not to mention, can't wait to have one of them as soon as Mastro Livi officially starts their production!

Originally Posted by razorguy

thank you CaySea, I am glad you like both razors. The scales of "Perugia 13.12.14" are simpler when compared to those of "Grifone". I can't wait to see the new stainless/carbon san mai Damascus razor finished and with scales mounted. Not to mention, can't wait to have one of them as soon as Mastro Livi officially starts their production!

Tell me about it! sooner or later I'll have 'one!

Originally Posted by stefanosup

Tell me about it! sooner or later I'll have 'one!

The same for me! I am absolutely in!

A lovely shave! This Mastro Livi kamisori is amazing and it is no secret I love the Damasteel blades he makes: one of my favorite steels ever. Not to mention the equally lovely Truefitt & Hill 1805 Shaving Cream and Geo. F. Trumper Astor Cologne: great smell and very good performance. Great shave!

I see you've bought some more outstanding razors since I last checked this thread!

Your Grifone is really lovely!

Originally Posted by PigHog

I see you've bought some more outstanding razors since I last checked this thread!

Your Grifone is really lovely!

Yes, you are right! Time goes by and I need to enrich my collection! I agree with you: Grifone is absolutely lovely! Thanks!