Thread: Fake Filarmonica yes or no?

Originally Posted by BobH

I am just wondering why on earth a Spanish made razor would be made using Pakistan steel. Is there something wrong with using Spanish made Toledo steel, it could not be that much cheaper to ship steel from Pakistan?

Bob

From what I understand, the Monserrat Pou company was taken over by Italians involved in knife manufacture. They continued to make razors using the Filarmonica name but to a much lower quality. Why steel from Pakistan, I cannot say.

Originally Posted by Optometrist

Jamie, I have spoken with a Spanish friend who says this razor is genuine. It is, however, one of the last Filarmonicas, post Montserrat Pou, and of very low quality. The story is that the steel is from Pakistan.

Hmmm that's a new one, the story that floated when Classic Shaving was selling them by the 100's was that they were made in China, that was never proved nor very well believed..

They had both etches on there too, the Gold like the one Jamie linked and the much more plain like the later ones that I linked,,

I would like to see proof of them being Pakistani made,

Here is what I do know.. The have a slightly heavier grind then the fine grinds of the older DT's, but I never saw any issues with them while honing or shaving that would have made me think Pakistani steel... If it is Pakistani steel, it was damn well made

Originally Posted by Optometrist

From what I understand, the Monserrat Pou company was taken over by Italians involved in knife manufacture. They continued to make razors using the Filarmonica name but to a much lower quality. Why steel from Pakistan, I cannot say.

I would wonder the same if Italians were making them in the end as I know Italian gun makers have a good rep and imagine they use Italian steel. I still could not see using Pakistani steel then either. Anyway, I am always skeptical of the I heard it from somebody things.

Bob

Here's a pic of my three, two which ( to me ) are higher quality and then there's the one from the mystery black box haha

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Hmmm that's a new one, the story that floated when Classic Shaving was selling them by the 100's was that they were made in China, that was never proved nor very well believed..

They had both etches on there too, the Gold like the one Jamie linked and the much more plain like the later ones that I linked,,

I would like to see proof of them being Pakistani made,

Here is what I do know.. The have a slightly heavier grind then the fine grinds of the older DT's, but I never saw any issues with them while honing or shaving that would have made me think Pakistani steel... If it is Pakistani steel, it was damn well made

Jose Monserrat Pou E Hijos (JMS & Son) produced razors without Jose Monserrat Pou's name on the tang, including the Sello Doro, but the son did not survive his father very long and the company passed into the hands of the daughter, who along with her step-father stopped investing in the company. Changes in the Spanish Civil Code (CC) in 1985 that prohibited the use of open razors in barber shops, etc, saw a huge drop-off in sales to barbers and hairdressers.

Prior to that point the company had used Swedish steel, but to get a good price on it they had to buy a large amount. Due to the drop-off in sales they could no longer afford to buy Swedish steel in the necessary amounts and buying a smaller amount increased the price so much that steel from Italian and Pakistani sources was sought, hence the drop-off in quality of some of the last runs of razors.

The last production run is supposed to have been in early 1990 - the actual US filing of the trademark was cancelled on the 25th of January 1990 (its first filing in the US seems to have been in 1940) and it was acquired by Margaret Frenkel Goldstein of Weiss, Dawid, Fross, Zelnick & Lehrman of 633 Third Avenue, NY. The very last razors seem to have no tang marks whatsoever. For some reason or other there is still a live filing on record for the mark.

Regards,
Neil

Hello,

New to the forum, I'm very interested in this thread as I purchased this razor... under the assumption that it was a 1950's era Filarmonica. This is to be a Christmas gift for my father who hails from Spain. The seller has a good rating and is stating that it is indeed from the 1950's, could he be correct... or perhaps was misinformed? Your comments are greatly appreciated.

See above...

What is supposedly made in Pakistan, the steel or the razor. ? I very much doubt it's the razor.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

What is supposedly made in Pakistan, the steel or the razor. ? I very much doubt it's the razor.

It was the steel, the blade itself. Here's a snippet from what Neil wrote:

Prior to that point the company had used Swedish steel, but to get a good price on it they had to buy a large amount. Due to the drop-off in sales they could no longer afford to buy Swedish steel in the necessary amounts and buying a smaller amount increased the price so much that steel from Italian and Pakistani sources was sought, hence the drop-off in quality of some of the last runs of razors.