Thread: FILARMONICA OR BISMARCK?

Gentlemen I need your help
I have very tough beard. I'm considering buy dovo bismarck 6/8 or filarmonica double temple 7/8. What are Yours sugestions? Thank You for help. Best regards.

I'd prefer the 6/8 personally, but with a tough beard I'd try a stiffer grind. Maybe look in the classifieds for a shave ready wedge type blade?

May be someone has both of this razors?

I 've got the both- fili in the daily use, bismarc in the draw since I bought filharmonica.That can be my personal opinion only, but for me fili is a lot mor user and skin friendly

i have both. I just got the bismark 5/8. I was very impressed with the dovo. I can not say that the Fili out shined the dovo. Both gave me a comfortable BBS shave. I think you will be happy with either one as long as they were properly honed.

Maybe it's just me, but I think this whole "tough beard" thing is nonesense. With good technique and good prep and a good razor with a good edge, you'll get a good shave. Dovo's and Filly's are both good razors, and I'm assuming you'll have your razor honed by someone else, so it should have a good edge. The rest is all learning curve.

While I agree with holli4 I have never shaved anyone's beard besides mine so I don't know. What I do know is that a 7/8 full hollow has more flex than a 5/8. I imagine a stiffer blade would be preferable for a coarser beard.

Gentlemen,

What a difficult choice, since those are fine razors. I have both, the Filarmonica 6/8" square point and the "Bismarck" 6/8" round point, and they give me equally excellent shaves. Yet both are completely different razors.

I have always found making a choice among my razors a difficult task. To me, each razor has its own characteristic and personality. Its own shaving nuance. Its own idiosyncrasies. Just as I continue to learn the contours of my face and the various directions in which my beard grows, I also try to acquaint myself with each individual razor.

Holli4 makes an excellent point: It is not so much the blade grind; rather, it is the mastery of preparation and razor technique. Perhaps that is so. For instance, I rarely get a good shave with a 4/8" blade. Yet I hesitate to blame the blade and choose to blame myself instead for my weak technique with that small a blade.

I don't fancy anything under 5/8", or over 6/8", although my Thiers-Issard "Dos Festonne" Spartacus starts at 6/8" at the heel and ends up with 7/8" at the point. That is a different case, however. My preference overall is for 5/8" and 6/8". Which blade width I prefer over the other depends on which razor I view.

My Dovos I prefer at 5/8", although the "Bismarck" is at 6/8". My Thiers-Issards are at 5/8" except for the Spartacus and the two Le Grelots. I love both sizes. Wackers, however, I prefer at 6/8". Why all these preferences I have no idea. I like each razor for what it is.

Or I consider what the opera composer Gaetano Donizetti said. When asked which of his operas he thought best, he replied, "How can I say which? A father always has a preference for a crippled child, and I have so many."

Perhaps I am stretching the analogy a tad too far.

Yet choosing between the Filarmonica 6/8" square point and the "Bismarck" 6/8" round point would be a difficult choice for me. In this case, I would either opt to buy both, if I had the money, or buy the less expensive of the two, if I did not have sufficient money.

Either way, these are both gorgeous razors and well worth the gentleman's shave.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by Scipio

I'd prefer the 6/8 personally, but with a tough beard I'd try a stiffer grind. Maybe look in the classifieds for a shave ready wedge type blade?

+1 on this opinion....

Bottom line FILARMONICA OR BISMARCK is not a question
but an opportunity to own two fine blades. Even if it is one
at a time and takes a couple years.

Still if it is bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and a big
hit wins the game I put my money on the lather, prep, strop and
hone parts of the game if I wanted to win.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Maybe it's just me, but I think this whole "tough beard" thing is nonesense. With good technique and good prep and a good razor with a good edge, you'll get a good shave. Dovo's and Filly's are both good razors, and I'm assuming you'll have your razor honed by someone else, so it should have a good edge. The rest is all learning curve.

Agree 100% with all of this, and I'd just add that right now you could probably get two Dovo's for the price the Filly's are going for.