Thread: filly pecking order?

When comparing razors, it is easy to feel differences due to size/grind/weight - and one should also note that these three factors are interrelated (as I mentioned above, if you have two razors with the same hollowing but one is larger than the other, the larger one will be heavier but will flex more). The differences in steels are more subtal, but I can often tell the difference. Then, as others say, the finishing hone, the strop, your skin, your lather, your prep, your technique and lots of other factors all come together and affect how good any given shave will be. Shaving with the same razor/lather/strop two days in a row will yield two different shaves. Your shave even changes during the course of a single shave. Even a single pass.

When all the factors add up correctly, you can get a mind-numbing, face-invigorating shave from any shave ready razor; different combinations work with different consistancy for different people. You just have to find what works for you. ...And then continue with your AD's as you hunt for something better. ...And then continue to improve your various techniques as you get better.

i agree..Holli...i have a doble temple 13 spike...it's huge and heavy and i love it, it's my number two favorite shaver...i think people that don't have a filarmonica because of price or lack of appearance should not comment on what a fili is! what is priced to high..if something in demand is proven and is going to last...the amount is priceless...look at Robert Williams....do you think he's over priced...i think not..i don not own one but what goes into make his shavers from start to finish is the real reason for price...hard work...if any of you have commented on the price think again...watch a video of how these amazing razors have been made and are still being made...by my estimation the prices should be higher..they are real craftsmen!

enough said i love my fili i own one!
Wulfgar

Originally Posted by Wulfgar

i think people that don't have a filarmonica because of price or lack of appearance should not comment on what a fili is! what is priced to high..if something in demand is proven and is going to last...the amount is priceless...

Sorry, I still don't own one. And I never will. I recently had the distinct pleasure of test shaving a #13 and #14. An interesting experience. The razors shave well. The scales are a complete joke. In my opinion, Filarmonicas fall into the same category as Dubl Ducks, or W&B razors: If you can get one in excellent shape for under USD 100, get it. If not, you can get an alternative for less money that will shave as well as or better than any of these. It really is that simple. In the case of one of the hyped brand names, you will most likely not get what you pay for. Which doesn't mean you should not buy these razors, quite the contrary. The more people concentrate on them, the more time for the more experienced users to hunt down no name Solingen razors.

Yep, I have a few no name razors that shave just as well as any that I've had... One rather poor looking razor has no marking or name anywhere on it except for "Rangoon" on the tang, and it gives a dandy of a shave.

that's great if you gave it a shot and it didn't work out for you, but opinions are like assholes everyone has one and they all stink!...i have two wade and Butchers both great..i have 12 straights now..i can rant and rave about the kropp that i have or the Korn, but it's up to the owner of the shaver to tell if they like it...it's all personal and everyone buds in like you know what other people want...i have and ERN that people say are garbage and won't hold and edge..mine is great sharp as hell and always a pleasure...and i guess your calling all the Experienced users on here that have fili's and W&B what? idiots because they don't hold your opinion and they should be looking for a better shaver...no one can tell you what a better shaver is...it's all preference! and scales are not what makes a shaver...it's the preference of the of the carbon steel or stainless steel blade that is connected to scales poor or not....never seen scales shave someones face! too many high horse i know everything types on here! There goes another skinky opinion!

I love the filarmonica scales, with the harp and the pastel colors. Very cool.

I'm a huge fan of solingens, and have quite a few (friodur, twins, regeldson, puma, schlieper, revisor gold, wusthof, ator, kama, thessenbruch, dorko, two weltmeisters (one SS), goldedge, and probably a few I'm forgetting). I love them and all give great shaves, but my fily 13 with pistacio scales is consistently as good or even better than them (although how you define better when all shave great is a big artistic).

With all these fillys I find myself hoisted on the horns of confusion. We have Filarmonica razors (found to be marvelous shaving tools now that they are no longer made) and Filly strops (found to be fine tools given that they are very reasonably priced). My confusion comes from their all being identified by "filly".

For those of us who are becoming increasingly dis-minded, could we adopt some slightly different nomenclature for these fine, albeit different, products? Perhaps a Fila and a Filly? Whoa there, are those strops made of horse skin? If not, perhaps we should refer to those Fillies as Calfies.

Originally Posted by dave5225

I have 16 different razors I shave with . Some are German , some are English , some are Swedish , some are USA , one is French , and another is Japanese . They range in size from 4/8 - 7/8 . As far as shaving goes , blade width , and type of grind are the only factors I've found that affect the way a razor shaves .

But none are Spanish!!!

This post is about Filarmonica razors, as there is only one Filly strop and therefore could not be a "pecking order".


To naysayers in the "one razor is not better than another" camp -- what would you say about Szco, Zeepk, Economy, Tomahawk, etc? Is it just because these are on the SRP "do not buy" list that they are disregarded? When is the last time a honemeister attempted to put a fine edge on one of these and have a shave?


There are so many threads that draw conclusions, based on price, scale appearance, et cetera, saying that a comparable shave could be had with a Genco, Torrey, W&B, or random Solingen. Could you not also make the same argument based upon the "do not buy" list? In other words, I don't think that we can imply, for a single second, that all razors shave equally. Tempers, grinds, sizes, weights, balances, all play a part.


Maybe my comparison to "do not buy list"-razors in terms of shave quality is a little drastic, but my point is that razor A (filarmonica) will shave me better than razor B (say, John Engstrom or something comparably mid-level price-wise). Maybe your experience is different. But to me, the higher prices (which I agree are now out-of-hand) are at least justified by the fact that I can get a better shave with it.


Also, to answer the OP's question, I think the 14 EPBD would sit at the top of the ladder, followed by the Doble Temple. I haven't shaved with the sub cero or others, so I can't speak to those.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by Oglethorpe

But none are Spanish!!!

Yeah , good point . Please disregard any comments I made in this thread .