Thread: # 14

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Personally I think not, and Pics like the ones coming up on here kinda show that, especially the #14's stamped "Made in Spain"

What do you mean with regards to the Made in Spain? I think that, aside from the Herder, they all look exactly the same.

These are few "Made in Spain"...similar but not the same as 14's I have owned made in Solingen IMHO

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

What do you mean with regards to the Made in Spain? I think that, aside from the Herder, they all look exactly the same.

Look at the grind Dylan, look at the differences in the grinds themselves the contours of the spine even... You really don't see that???? Hint: look at the shoulders see the differences??? Geez look at the pic you posted you can't see the differences in that #14 ?????

"Made in Spain" ie; exactly what it is stamped on the back, BTW they are also #14 Swedes.. that are way different and they are stamped Elskiltuna...

Keep watching the more that are posted in one place the more differences you will notice...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Look at the grind Dylan, look at the differences in the grinds themselves the contours of the spine even... You really don't see that???? Hint: look at the shoulders see the differences??? Geez look at the pic you posted you can't see the differences in that #14 ?????

"Made in Spain" ie; exactly what it is stamped on the back, BTW they are also #14 Swedes.. that are way different and they are stamped Elskiltuna...

Keep watching the more that are posted in one place the more differences you will notice...

Well, if we are talking about common blanks, than the grinds would be irrelevant. The blanks could come from the same place with grinding and possibly even the HT done elsewhere.

The contour of the spine, especially around the shoulder, is one of the biggest commonalities I see. A slight hump just before the shoulder and a slight sway to the spine. The only one that doesn't seem to do that is the Fontana. All the others do. To my eye at least.

I also don't see why it matters where the blade is stamped as being made. If I have a dollar for every lie or marketing gimmick I've seen stamped on a razor, I'd have a lot of money.

BTW, Having held the Imperial I posted and a Filly DT 14 both in my hands at the same time, they looked exactly the same.

I guess you see things different than I... Dylan the way I understood the story is that the grinding was done in Germany also.. But without proof you either believe that all these were made in the same place or you don't, Myself I am sceptical...

Birnando, You want to see if anyone has pre 1970 advertising, something that maybe says " Proudly made from the Henckenrath Forgery Blanks" that would be great proof.. We looked for the same thing to try and find the name "Barber's Notch" which we never did either...

Keep in mind books written by "Experts" and collectors carry about as much weight as these forums do in my mind...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Birnando, You want to see if anyone has pre 1970 advertising, something that maybe says " Proudly made from the Henckenrath Forgery Blanks" that would be great proof.. We looked for the same thing to try and find the name "Barber's Notch" which we never did either...

Keep in mind books written by "Experts" and collectors carry about as much weight as these forums do in my mind...

Good point, Gssixgun!

Here's a couple of ways I have tried to find out about this:

I have a friend who has worked his whole life as the Spanish attache of commerce in different embassies around the world. He has tried to find documentation of the transactions and or other signs of this kind of collaboration between Germany and Spain. He has also used his contacts in Spain to try and find out about the infamous Toledo steel, its origin and the use of it in Spain in the 20th century.

I have gotten some good info regarding this, but nothing that makes me able to conclude either way.
We are still on it though, so should any of the guys we have asked to snoop around for information actually find anything, I'll be posting it here right away.

Originally Posted by Birnando

Good point, Gssixgun!

Here's a couple of ways I have tried to find out about this:

I have a friend who has worked his whole life as the Spanish attache of commerce in different embassies around the world. He has tried to find documentation of the transactions and or other signs of this kind of collaboration between Germany and Spain. He has also used his contacts in Spain to try and find out about the infamous Toledo steel, its origin and the use of it in Spain in the 20th century.

I have gotten some good info regarding this, but nothing that makes me able to conclude either way.
We are still on it though, so should any of the guys we have asked to snoop around for information actually find anything, I'll be posting it here right away.

Have you read the thread on the German Forum,
I received my info on it by way of a fellow restorer in Austria...

He said that the story was that this one forge pumped out every #14 razor, that was basically when I began to doubt the whole thing..
There are just to many differences in them for me to believe that..
Now if it was as Dylan was saying that they only produced the Drop forged "ROUGH" blanks then I think that is more believable, but even that after some deductive logic doesn't seem profit friendly for all these companies..
There are plenty of large 7/8-8/8 Hollow ground Solingen blades out there that are made by other companies so why would these be cost effective????
And if there were "Special" as in highly sought after because of the exceptional shave which we know many deliver I would think it would have been "Bragging Rights" and this would be easy to prove...

See this starts being a mind game rather quickly without proof...

Now we know at least the heat treating and temping had to be done in different places, or differently, as we have a few different types out there...
Also we know there are rather different grinds out there so that leads to the thought that there were maybe ground by the different companies...

A mystery

What is really funny is I knew this discussion was inevitable as soon as the OP posted the thread...

Speaking of which, "to the OP (jazor) do you mind if I tweak the title to perhaps get more attention to the thread"?????

I loooove those #14, big blades that shaves like a dream!

Here is my 14, Cabeza de Leon.





I've had a Filarmonica 14 and I was one of the owners of the Imperial 14 Dylan mentioned. All of these razors are incredibly similar, both in shape and shave in my humble and relatively inexperienced opinion.

Note: there is a 14 on the tang it's just very faint.

Well, I don't have anything like this to show, but I'm loving this thread just for the razor pr0n!

I think I've developed a healthy case of razor envy... That cabeza de leon is just a beautiful blade, and any of the ones Glen posted would give me a week long permagrin.