Thread: Filarmonica prices on the rise.

I followed this one all week I even contacted the UK seller with a price in mind when you consider it needs some loving care to bring it back to it's best so that was weaved into my cost, but when I saw what it sold for almost $400 dollars I could not believe my eyes crazy price, I also have my doubts that they are the original scales as the pivot pin looks different to the pin at the wedge. FILARMONICA 14 STRAIGHT RAZOR | eBay

Yeah I don't think the scales are original. No harp embossed in the celluloid. I'd say it is a one off price wise. Just a couple of guys who got excited and didn't know what they were looking at. I've done it myself in the past.

I see our point. There are some condition issues for sure, but it isn't spent. The pin is different for sure. That is a lot of money for what it is. I suppose at the end of the day stuff is always worth what you can sell it for. Sometimes I'm happy to not have been the buyer. It gets hard sometimes to hold your line, in part due to the it's only a couple of more dollars, then it escalates. It doesn't look like a bidding war on this one though. There wasn't two fighting over it in the end, nor a bunch of large snipes.

Can someone extoll the virtues of a filarmonica to me? I've seen a lot that say jose monserrat (or something similar) and a lot of more modern razors that don't seem to have the same lineage (I'd be wary about that, it's sort of like buying a "soligen" branded razor 50 years newer than the name of a popular grinder).

I've bought swedish, japanese, solingen, new york and sheffield razors...and I guess even french. I've never noticed anything too different about any of them other than the grind. That excludes, of course, razors that are obviously defective. The grind and the physical geometry of the razor has literally dominated all when the rubber hits the road to what I prefer, and the overall shave otherwise (sharpness, etc) has been more dependent on that than razor type, etc.

Who is buying used razors for hundreds and hundreds of dollars? I saw one last week from a brooklyn seller that had a defective grind sell for $190. Whoever ground it literally did not finish the grind on the back and there were coarse lines near the edge in the front and up at the spine on the back, and a few issues that looked geometric more than polish. It had a picture of a rodeo guy on it, had some hone wear and a lot of the wash was gone. That's nutty!!

That said, in the last 7 or 8 years that I've been shaving, anything that looks like a clean razor has gone up by a factor of two or three. It used to be pretty easy to bottom feed on the new listings on ebay and get nice low-wear razors for $10 or $15 and play with them, and spend maybe $60 and get a razor that was in superb shape and with some spinework or something. Not these days!!

The early models with the JMP and the curved lettering are from the 1940s and 50s they are fantastic blades when you've picked one up that's never been touched buffed or polished in original condition not only do they look amazing they are amazing shavers, I own a few but there's one of them an early Especial which were the original EPBD of their day, I'm always surprised every time I use the razor firstly for how easy it is to use when you consider it's a full 8/8 and I've used the razor for over a year just stropping and it feels like it came off the hone yesterday.

I've had a few vintage Fillys and they were good shavers, honed up easy, stayed sharp, shaved smooth. Like some of the ducks, some of the Fillys got a reputation and a 'cult' following that drove the prices. The steel is real good but the scales were cheesy IMHO. Anyway, it is just an example of an item that gets 'hot' and collectible. I was lucky to get a few in great shape before the prices soared and then sell them when they got up there.

Deleted my previous post, realized I'd posted the same question a couple of weeks ago!

They're definitely a top performing razor in my opinion, and great to change things up once in awhile...I blame Celtic for the NOS #13 Beautiful razor and a delight to shave with!

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

That's definitely a gorgeous razor, as most of the NOS older ones on ebay are. I can't imagine they're going to drop in price any time soon, so I'll have to look at them in pictures.

Am in no way dissing the prices they bring,but once they are gone, they are gone and the price will continue to go up.
I have razors you will never find and they will never be sold.
Is a finite amt of the really great stuff out there.I think it was Will Rogers that said,buy land, they do not make it anymore.
I used to collect Winchesters back in the 60s/70s,My quarry was 1886s, mod. 12s and 42s and I was able to get most cheap.
Unless you have very deep pockets, you cannot find them anymore.
What will a pristine filly 14 bring in 20 yrs?

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

I have razors you will never find and they will never be sold.

Are you gonna take 'em with you when you 'go' Bill ?