Thread: Filarmonica's- What am I missing?

Originally Posted by DogHair

Great advice.

What's the scoop there?

Originally Posted by richmondesi

What's the scoop there?

I picked one up a while back before the prices went up. Definitely not the quality of the vintage blades, especially considering the current price. Total b***h to hone. I can't decide if the unusual symmetrical smile on the blade messes with the bevel, the steel is too hard or I'm just not smart enough to put a good edge on it. Which ever one of those it is I think there are much better choices for that money.

It seems that you got yourself one of the latest Fillies made.
Harder steel, bigger blade, and a smile.
It's a pain to hone. I've honed about half a dozen of those and they take longer than the vintage 60's Fillies that I love.

Originally Posted by DogHair

I picked one up a while back before the prices went up. Definitely not the quality of the vintage blades, especially considering the current price. Total b***h to hone. I can't decide if the unusual symmetrical smile on the blade messes with the bevel, the steel is too hard or I'm just not smart enough to put a good edge on it. Which ever one of those it is I think there are much better choices for that money.

Originally Posted by richmondesi

UPDATE:

I'm getting a NOS Fili from a barbershop in CA for $80 (13)... I'll be able to tell soon enough what I think.

That's awesome! I shaved with mine today - I find myself cooing over how nice it is. It's one of a couple razors that I sometimes find myself stopping mid shave and staring at adoringly.

Originally Posted by Leon

It seems that you got yourself one of the latest Fillies made.
Harder steel, bigger blade, and a smile.
It's a pain to hone. I've honed about half a dozen of those and they take longer than the vintage 60's Fillies that I love.

do you know why they started making them harder and with a smile? and are you sure they are harder steel rather than just thicker and harder to hone (so they seem harder) just curious.

were they meant to be as good (ie was it a design decision or a cost cutting thing).

I do find they hold an edge forever once you get them right, but it's a humongous pain to get them right. They also are so big and hard that they have the "no feedback" of a big W&B wedge rather than the stiff but flexible pinging of the old NOS ones.

Originally Posted by richmondesi

UPDATE:

I'm getting a NOS Fili from a barbershop in CA for $80 (13)... I'll be able to tell soon enough what I think.

I hate you! Have they got any more? Heh-heh!

Kevin

I don't know why, but the filas don't appeal much to me. All I see when I see a filarmonica is this:


It's just too much. Too fancy. Like it's overcompensating for something.. I assume it's a great shaver as so many people on the forum is obsessed with it. I guess I just like the plain old ones better. No 6" blades.. No fancy rubber grips or pink scales. And the prices.. the prices.. I'd love to try a filarmonica once to see what all the fuss is about, but I would never buy one for $300 + .....

..for a spanish guy living in the home town of Monserrat Pou is even more surprising.

Those were the razors which used my neighborhood barber because...we spanish couldnt afford nothing better!

To make things more sad, Fillys are related to a fascist dictatorship in Spain....otherwise we could buy the German real thing.

Originally Posted by Leon

It seems that you got yourself one of the latest Fillies made.
Harder steel, bigger blade, and a smile.
It's a pain to hone. I've honed about half a dozen of those and they take longer than the vintage 60's Fillies that I love.

So they'll eventually take a good edge? I'll keep at it then. Thanks! I also usually hone with a piece of tape on the spine. I've been thinking that may be throwing off the edge a little on this particular razor.

Originally Posted by DogHair

So they'll eventually take a good edge? I'll keep at it then. Thanks! I also usually hone with a piece of tape on the spine. I've been thinking that may be throwing off the edge a little on this particular razor.

I used tape on the edge at the very end and it helped last time. When you get these right, they hold very durable good edges. But they are a PAIN to get there.