Quote Originally Posted by FatboySlim View Post
Wow, if Filarmonicas are faked Spanish razors actually made in Germany, that would really burst my bubble.

The Filarmonica story (myth?) that I had read either on this forum on another forum, was from a Spanish poster who explained that Filarmonica came about after World War II, when Germany embargoed trade with Francoist Spain. The Spaniards were very fond of German razors, and cut off from supply, started making their own razors, like Filarmonicas. I also vaguely remember the poster saying that many Spaniards considered Filarmonicas to be junk, so they primarily were sold to the export market in Central and South America, marketed as a classy European import.

But reading your theory, I guess I was naive to believe the story I recounted above, because the only Spanish razor brand I have ever seen is Filarmonica, I know of no other. If Spain did develop their own straight razor industry, I would expect there to be many more makers. Maybe there are, and I just don't know of them, because they didn't have the flamboyant style and marketing that Filarmonicas have, and never made it out of Spain. And by the mid-1950s, America was a big trading partner with Spain, and I'm sure we were selling them a bunch of Gillettes, so the whole idea doesn't make sense.

This story appealed to me because I have this romantic theory that the countries that became famous for making straight razors generally already had a solid grasp of metallurgy for centuries because they were established famous sword and weapon makers - Japan, UK, France, Germany, and ....Spain. But maybe that's just nonsense I dreamed up because I'm fascinated by straight razors.

I have also read somewhere that there are old grinders and workers from Solingen who also claim this, saying all 14 blanks were made in Germany.