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

I was the one who commented on honing. I think part of the problem was being over cautious. With my other Mastro Livi that needed work I used a Shapton 4k, 8k, 16k & 30k with a leather strop. That edge is the sharpest I have ever seen. I got my RW34 back and as I previously said, its a completely different shave. If I ever need to hone this again I will go through my regular progression. Being new to honing I tend not to what to get to aggressive.

Originally Posted by jkatzman

If I ever need to hone this again I will go through my regular progression. Being new to honing I tend not to what to get to aggressive.

Of course I did not mean to criticize your comment or to judge your honing skill. I heard many times on the net people complaining about honing a RWL34 razor and I wanted to try to hone one myself. I did not mean to criticize your comment and I do apologize in case I sounded like so.
As I have never honed a Mastro Livi razor, that was also a good occasion for me to understand Mastro Livi razors a little more. This was the very first Mastro Livi razor I honed myself and I am happy I did. also because I wanted to understand.
Just a question: what do you mean you tend to get too aggressive? You mean applying aggressive pressure or so? Or you want an aggressive edge?

I will be the first to admit after a year of learning honing I have a lot to learn. When I say aggressive, I meant using to course a stone. That is why I started with a Shapton 8k and used 5-8 x strokes only blade pressure. Then progressed us using shapton stones. The bevel and edge were not really bad. When I sent it out to be honed, the gentleman doing it said it wasn't bad. A couple of laps using a Shapton 8k, cuticle, chromium oxide and a leather strop. It came back incredibly sharp. HHT but I have noticed it still tugs a little. I have a new 20 Suehiro Gokumyo stone I have found to be the best at finishing. I am going to try 5-7 e stocks to see if that helps. I find it works better then chromium oxide.

After getting mine back from Glen, I found the edge to be nice and smooth. In fact, Glen put just as nice an edge on it with his SS 12K as I get with my G20! Experienced vs inexperienced honing proof, I suppose.

BTW... love Berlin... great little town! Far enough from the beach to stay away from the crazies, but close enough that you can go there for lunch. What's not to like?

We ought to see if we can get a shaving group together for a meeting

Originally Posted by jkatzman

I will be the first to admit after a year of learning honing I have a lot to learn. When I say aggressive, I meant using to course a stone. That is why I started with a Shapton 8k and used 5-8 x strokes only blade pressure. Then progressed us using shapton stones. The bevel and edge were not really bad. When I sent it out to be honed, the gentleman doing it said it wasn't bad. A couple of laps using a Shapton 8k, cuticle, chromium oxide and a leather strop. It came back incredibly sharp. HHT but I have noticed it still tugs a little. I have a new 20 Suehiro Gokumyo stone I have found to be the best at finishing. I am going to try 5-7 e stocks to see if that helps. I find it works better then chromium oxide.

I too will be the first to admit after sixteen years of trying how to learn honing I have more than a lot to learn! When I see Mastro Livi honing and then I see myself honing, I truly understand I still have a very very long way to go while realizing I will never get that far.
With time I however learned that all the many tests around are not so useful when compared to the ultimate and only real test: shaving. I sometimes use arm hair, hanging hair and thumb tests to asses my progress while honing, but they are just used to give me a rough feedback of my job. Shaving is the only and ultimate test. I learned a razor may pass, say, HHT but does not shave comfortably, while others shave like heaven while not passing HHT.
When I first met Mastro Livi and I was telling him about these tests, he laughed and said a straight razor is meant to shave not to cut a hanging hair. At first I thought he was making fun of me but, with time, I understood he was right, absolutely right. After all, Mastro Livi is always right when it comes about straight razors! :-)
Mastro Livi always says that you have to "feel the edge", to feel the feedback of the edge on a hone or strop: you will realize yourself when the edge is sharp even without doing any test. As far as I can tell, he is right, but I also understand he is Mastro Livi and I am not.
I personally witnessed this many times: Mastro Livi hones a razor - any razor, even having the dullest edge - then he says the razor is ready and has the perfect edge for shaving, he does not do any test and gives you the razor. You use it and it perfectly shaves. He smiles and say "you see? All you need is to feel the edge. The razor itself will tell you when the edge is sharp". He is Mastro Livi and I am not. :-)

Originally Posted by Aldwyn

After getting mine back from Glen, I found the edge to be nice and smooth. In fact, Glen put just as nice an edge on it with his SS 12K as I get with my G20! Experienced vs inexperienced honing proof, I suppose.

BTW... love Berlin... great little town! Far enough from the beach to stay away from the crazies, but close enough that you can go there for lunch. What's not to like?

I am glad Glen could give you back a lovely razor with the best edge. I am sure you are now enjoying a great razor and honed to perfection!
By the way: it seems the place you live in sounds like a lovely place. Never say never, I may also consider coming there just to have lunch while staying away from the crazies! :-D

Originally Posted by jkatzman

We ought to see if we can get a shaving group together for a meeting

That would be absolutely great! It would be even better if we could organize a meeting at Mastro Livi laboratory and have him teaching us about honing, straight razors as well as testing razors in his private barbershop!

Razor Guy, I would welcome you to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Finest seafood and hard shell crabs in the world. You haven't lived until you have had hardshell crags steamed in Bay seasoning and wash them down with cold beer. You are always welcome at my home. My wife and I are seriously thinking of going to Italy again. Absolutely love the country, people, food and wine. The problem I have is shaving all the extra face I am getting as I get older. Gearing up for my in laws Christmas feasts. 2 days of non stop eating. I am going to give my son-in-law my Mastro Livi 6 /8 Spanish tip with Ebany scales for Christmas. He just got in to wet shaving and this would be a luxury he could not afford. Being Italian, he should have one of the Mastro's razors to see what the rest of the world is missing. I am in quest of the perfect edge and shave. Now to convince my wife of the wonderful shopping near Mastro Livi's.

I actually am hungry right now! Your description about the seafood you have there makes me feel like jumping on a place right now! :-)
And thanks for your generosity for welcoming me at your house. Very appreciated indeed.
I guess you and your wife has the best idea. I am sure you would not regret visiting Italy again and - if you can - visit Mastro Livi laboratory as well and personally meet him. And I am also sure you would get plenty of fine food and wine. :-)
I believe you r son-in-law is very lucky for having a father-in-law like you. It is very generous of you to give him a straight razor like that one and appreciate the best shave ever. He is very lucky indeed and please tell him.
This certainly is one good reason for you to come to Mastro Livi laboratory and watch the making of your next Mastro Livi razor, not to mention, to personally test it in his private barbershop. Now that you are going to be so generous with your son-in-law, it is not right that you are not having a Mastro Livi razor anymore, so you need to get a new one! ;-)

I have a 6/8 Spanish tip on order with deer antler scales. Otherwise I wouldn't be so generous. I am not sure I like him that much. Only kidding. I sold most of my other straights and now concentrate on the 2 Austs and my Mastro Livi's. I do have 2 vintage Gencos one in new condition, but that one I like to look at, not shave. Looks like it has never been used.

I sent him the certificate and told him under no circumstances to lose it or the box. He called and said the certificate was in Italian. I asked him if he thought it was going to be in Hebrew. I told him to read it and when I saw him again there would be a test. He called and said the razor was scary sharp and so smooth he could hardly feel it cutting. Great to see the joy it brings.