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

Sunday 22 November 2015



Mastro Livi "Rasoio Italiano" Stainless Damascus, 8/8 Full Hollow, Spanish Point

I can't stop thinking how fabulous and stunning is this Mastro Livi stainless damascus razor. The blade, first of all. It is made of artisanal martensitic stainless damascus personally made by Mastro Livi in his laboratory, that is made of stainless steels suitable for hardening and tempering. You can in fact see both stainless steels are making the very sharp and super cutting edge, this is possible only in case the steel is totally hardenable. Secondly, the scales. They are a masterpiece celebrating Italy and Italian craftsmanship, of course made by Mastro Livi. Scales are made of black African ebony with a fossil mammoth ivory plate in the middle and two Italian flags at the sides. The flags are made of jade, white turquoise and coral. A flag made of three dots is also inlaid in the fossil mammoth ivory. Simply beautiful! As for shaving performance, the feeling of this Mastro Livi stainless damascus is pretty aggressive and deep, almost as aggressive as Damasteel, however giving a pleasing shave and, you know it, with an impeccable super smooth and velvety result. I am very proud of this razor, not just because it is "Italian artisan made", but also because I personally watched its making.

• Pre-Shave: RazorGuy Pre-Shave Oil
• Soap: XPEC Original Shaving Cream
• Brush: Frank Shaving Synthetic Hair Brush - 22mm knot
• Bowl: Bamboo Bowl
• Strop: Mastro Livi Medium Loom Strop "Coramella Italiana" and Hand Palm
• Razor: Mastro Livi "Rasoio Italiano" Stainless Damascus, 8/8 Full Hollow, Spanish Point
• Post-Shave: Alum Block
• Post-Shave: Argan Oil
• After Shave: Pino Silvestre Classico

As long as she has my credit card she will be very happy.

Originally Posted by jkatzman

As long as she has my credit card she will be very happy.

Of course!

Sunday 29 November 2015



Mastro Livi Kamisori, 13/16 French Point, Hakkapella Damasteel, Abalone Handle

Today's shave has been luxurious thanks to this Mastro Livi kamisori, as a matter of fact, one of the three Mastro Livi kamisoris I have in my collection. This one is very special because it has the well known Mastro Livi kamisori shape - of course based on the original Japanese style - with a lovely abalone handle and a very keen Damasteel with a Hakkapella pattern. Whoever uses a kamisori for shaving knows it gives a very deep shave, it can be tricky sometimes to use - because you have to shave with the omote side only - but the reward is very high. It takes time to master a kamisori, certainly a longer time than a traditional straight razor, but the result is absolutely amazing. Not to mention when you shave with a Mastro Livi kamisori, something adding a magnificent craftsmanship skill to a beautiful blade. For this shave I wanted to use one of my favorite shaving soap of all times - Martin De Candre - an absolutely super performing soap with a Mediterranean fragrance of very high class and performance. What a great shave!

• Pre-Shave: RazorGuy Pre-Shave Oil
• Soap: Martin De Candre
• Brush: Frank Shaving Finest Badger Chubby Brush - 30mm knot
• Bowl: Gerby Bowl
• Strop: Mastro Livi Medium Loom Strop "Coramella Italiana" and Hand Palm
• Razor: Mastro Livi Kamisori, 13/16 French Point, Hakkapella Damasteel, Abalone Handle
• Post-Shave: Alum Block
• Post-Shave: Umbria Extravirgin Olive Oil
• After Shave: Denim White

Sunday 6 December 2015



Getting Ready to Go Back Home

I am getting ready to go back home and, as usual, before leaving, it is good to shave. I used this Mastro Livi "the last new grind" as it has been the straight razor I took with me in this business trip. I also took with me my shaving soap, bay rum and pre-shave oil, therefore having what I call "a RazorGuy shave". My shaving soap proves to be, once again, a super performing soap, providing a very good cushion to the straight razor as well as a very good post shave sensation. A splash of my Bay Rum aftershave and I am ready to pack and leave.

• Pre-Shave: RazorGuy Pre-Shave Oil
• Soap: RazorGuy Shaving Soap
• Brush: Optim'Hom Synthetic J-082
• Bowl: Chinese Steel Bowl
• Strop: Mastro Livi Travel Loom Strop and Hand Palm
• Razor: Mastro Livi "The Last New Grind", 6/8 Half Hollow, Round Point
• Post-Shave: Alum Block
• Post-Shave: Umbrian Extravirgin Olive Oil
• After Shave: RazorGuy Bay Rum

I am very happy to show you my Mastro Livi soap bowl and shaving brush, both made from beautiful olive wood. Mastro Livi made this awesome set for me by using genuine Umbrian olive wood and created with the lathe.
The bowl has a lovely lid with a brush holder perfectly suited for my new brush.
The bowl has been filled with an artisan Italian shaving soap having a charming and intense almond fragrance, very classic and Italian style.
I watched the making of both and of course I took pictures of Mastro Livi at work while he was creating this unique masterpiece. I will be happy to share the pictures very soon with you.

Sunday 13 December 2015



Mastro Livi Shaving Set

I absolutely love this Mastro Livi olive wood soap bowl with brush holder, as well as the badger brush with olive wood handle, both now making a lovely Mastro Livi shave kit paired to Grifetto's olive wood scales. I personally watched the making of this soap bowl, lid and brush, being totally amazed and enchanted by Mastro Livi art, skill and craftsmanship in creating masterpieces. He made both bowl with lid and brush handle by working an olive wood log at the lathe and at the end he created this stupendous piece of art. The bowl has been filled with a chunk of Aguizzeria del Cavallo almond shaving soap, one of my favorite ones. A luxury and artistic shave having a perfect companion and final touch thanks to my favorite aftershave of all times: Floïd Mentolado Vigoroso, simply a magnificent and refreshing aftershave.

• Pre-Shave: RazorGuy Pre-Shave Oil
• Soap: Aguzzeria del Cavallo Almond Shaving Soap
• Brush: Mastro Livi Badger, Olive Wood Handle - 22mm knot
• Bowl: Mastro Livi Olive Wood Shave Bowl with Brush Holder
• Strop: Mastro Livi Medium Loom Strop "Coramella Italiana" and Hand Palm
• Razor: Mastro Livi Grifetto, 6/8 Full Hollow, Round Point
• Post-Shave: Alum Block
• Post-Shave: Umbria Extravirgin Olive Oil
• After Shave: Floïd Mentolado Vigoroso

Yesterday I went to Mastro Livi laboratory because we had to shoot the sixth episode of Mastro Livi School whose subject is kamisori. For this episode we needed some kamisoris to be showed in the video in order to explain this style of razor. One of the kamisoris was a beautiful Mastro Livi symmetric kamisori, that is a kamisori with a blade ground in the western style, therefore having no ura and no omote.
I loved this kamisori from the very moment I saw it and, you guess it, when we were done shooting the video, I ended up taking this beauty home with me. I am therefore very glad to show you my latest addition to my razor collection, that is a Mastro Livi Symmetric Kamisori with a beautiful abalone handle.

Mastro Livi Symmetric Kamisori Damasteel Odin's Eye

• Blade: 6/8 Full Hollow, French Point, Symmetric Grinding
• Steel: Damasteel Odin's Eye pattern
• Handle: Abalone Mother of Pearl

Antonello, you are one lucky fella my friend!
I really love the razor, soap dish & brush combo!

Originally Posted by engine46

Antonello, you are one lucky fella my friend!
I really love the razor, soap dish & brush combo!

Thank you! I still have to complete my Mastro Livi Italian Shaving Set and I hope this to happen very soon. As soon as Mastro Livi is going to make the straight razor the set will be completed and I am sure it will be a great match with the Italian Brush and Strop.