Maestro Livi finally conquered

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:03 pm

This is a good illustration of just how hard steels can be made - especially damascus or stainless steels. Many newbie straight shavers are nervous of over-honing, seeing wire edges wherever they turn. Some steels simply take a hell of a lot of honing and no worries about overdoing it!
I have a lovely briar handled Livi (if I can't smoke with it anymore, at least I can shave with it) that has been a bear to hone. The last few days I decided to take it to task and did:
Shapton 8k 10 round trips
Shapton 15k 15 round trips
Shapton 30k 20 round trips
DGLP-lapped Spyderco UF 25 round trips

and it still wasn't sharp. Another 25 on the UF, but still no good. Time for some variety, so did 100 round trips on a Pyke 'American Swaty' - nearly there, so I stropped and had a shave this am - less than stellar, but a passable result.
Today I have done another 25 round trips on the UF, and 50 round trips on the chromium dioxide/leather bench hone and it is hair-popping sharp!
Tomorrow I shall see if it does as well as I expect. Quite a struggle, but a testament to the hardness of the damascus blade, and if sharp, probably won't need honing again for years!

Chris

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:39 pm

Good God, what an effort, do let us know how it shaves.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:48 pm

Yes, sounds very tiring. Hope that finally did the trick.
Regards,
Gordon

ScottS · Post by **ScottS** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:32 pm

You want to borrow my 4K?

Occam · Post by **Occam** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:38 am

Congratulations... i now know well the satisfaction of that instant, no hesitation hair popping

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:54 am

My wrists hurt just reading that. I simply don't have the patience, my shavers happen to be the ones that don't take more than 20 minutes to get shave ready. I have a drawer full of razors that didn't respond in that time.

EverSharp · Post by **EverSharp** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:53 am

Chris, I hope this was not shipped directly from the maestro. It would be disappointing to learn that these are not delivered hair popping sharp. Tell me it ain't so.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:25 am

I don't know if they come directly from Italy or via Lynn. It was ordered from Lynn's website, that is currently down and being reconstructed. The way it came, it would give a magnificent WTG shave, but wouldn't go across or against with comfort.

Today's shave was far better than before, bit neither the most comfortable nor the closest. This may be the compromise one has to accept: hard steel so not the very sharpest, but goes a long time between honings.

Chris

EverSharp · Post by **EverSharp** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:40 am

Is your blade the old forgings or ATS 34? I know the razors are beautiful but I must ask: would you buy another?

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:47 am

EverSharp wrote:Is your blade the old forgings or ATS 34? I know the razors are beautiful but I must ask: would you buy another?

I can't answer the first, but the razor arrived in May 2007 if that helps. As to buying another - not for the shave quality, but perhaps for the looks.

My best ever shaves have come from TI's, Bergischer Lowes, some old wedges and a few old hollows (Holler).

Chris

Padron · Post by **Padron** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:09 am

Glad to hear your getting it there Chris, love to see some photos. I really like the Livi Damascus blades.

Neale

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:50 am

Your wish is my command:

Chris

mparker762 · Post by **mparker762** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:54 am

Chris, it sounds like it just needs more work. My razors with the hardest steel all take the sharpest edges.

It's surprising how much time it can take to get these really hard razors to shaving properly - because they're so hard we tend to misjudge how much time they need on each grit, and move to the fine hones too quickly. I gave up on several of my really hard razors thinking the same thing as you - that they just weren't capable of getting really sharp, but I'd keep going back to them and eventually they'd get there. I've developed a real fetish for really hard razors, because as frustrating as they are to hone that first time they shave so beautifully.

In your case the Livi Damascus razors are also stainless which just makes things even worse than my hard carbon steel razors, but even so I've had some razors that took much more time that you've spent on this one; I had a couple of sta-sharps that took several hours on the 8k and 15k Shaptons before they shaved well, and my first Robert Williams (65HRC) took about a week. That thing just laughed at the Shaptons - that was the first razor that I could use on the shaptons without seeing swarf - I finally tamed it with my pasted hanging strops. I got a Livi Takeda early this year that I'm still working on. And you've read the posts by thebigspendur and some of the others on how long it took them to get the TI damascus razors to shaving, and similar troubles with the new TI silverwing - and those aren't even stainless.

Padron · Post by **Padron** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:22 am

drmoss_ca wrote:Your wish is my command:

Chris

Thanks Chris,

That sure is a Beauty, you inspired me to use my Damascus today

That Briar is very nice

Neale

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:32 am

I just wish the wood smelled of Syrian Latakia!

Chris

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:29 am

Chris how hard was it to get/keep an edge on the Bergischer Lowe and you say this razor gave you some of your best shaves?

Big Swifty · Post by **Big Swifty** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:35 am

drmoss_ca wrote:I just wish the wood smelled of Syrian Latakia!

Chris

Ahhh Chris,
With this last statement and that picture of that beautifully briar scaled razor I am now in the mood for a nice cool smoke...
Time to break out one of my Peterson briars...thank you Chris

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:40 am

Squire,
I found them hard to hone, but eventually learnt how. The Pyke American Swaty had a lot to do with it at the time, but I suspect I could do the same with Shaptons now.

Steve,
You must not torment the admin.....

Chris

Big Swifty · Post by **Big Swifty** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:42 am

Sorry...my bad

VintageBlades · Post by **VintageBlades** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:52 pm

After having visted with Lynn last month in Ohio and having had my first "taste" of a Livi, he and I have been going back and forth discussing which one I was going to order. Can you imagine getting to fondle (with lust I might add) just about every variation of the Maestro's work? Well, I didn't see anything with scales like that. Decision made. Thank you Chris.