Thread: Why are the Classic Filarmonicas so different?

Has anyone figured out why the classic shaving filarmonicas (the 15/16s monsters) (which were supposed to the last in inventory) are such different animals from the old fashioned NOS filarmonica doble temples with the pastel scales?

When it's honed right (and that takes some dedication), the classic shaving fily is a nice instrument. But it's not in the same class as the beautiful old filies that take an edge immediately and shave so so well.

Were the last blanks just not ground by the same skilled filarmonica grinders? Did they fail to find a good retired razor maker (unlike whoever got all those old friodur blanks)?

Maybe that's why they went out of business: they started making poor quality razors.

IMO, from the razors I have seen, they are not the same blanks at all.

According to Leon:

I've honed some of these and they're a PITA to hone due to their hard steel. Also, they're thicker than the original 60's Filarmonicas that I love and needless to say I prefer the older ones than these more modern ones.
Apart from this model, I've also had several customers from Spain that occasionally buy one of the last Filarmonica models in some old Spanish cutleries. The blade shape is just like CS with the exception that it still has the "Double Temple" etching on the blade and has the Filarmonica 14 scales.
This model is what I baptized as "13.5", since it's too big to be a 13 and too small to be a "14", thus needing to have the "14" scales, the "13" would be too small.
Also, being thicker in the edge is what also takes more time in the hones to set a bevel. This bevel usually gets much more pronounced than the 60's "13" that have a much more light and narrow edge and the edge is practically invisible.

Here is the link:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...rmonica-3.html

I don't think they are poorer quality razors or at least the one I have shaves fine. As to why they are different there can be many reasons. maybe they started getting rid of the older employees, maybe they started making a newer type razor thinking they could continue, maybe they couldn't get the old blanks anymore. The possibilities are endless.

Are there any links out there detailing the history of the Filarmonica, especially the plant, grinders, etc..?

I'm not familiar with the Filarmonica models or their various charateristics, I only have this one. Can anyone tell me which model it is (13 or 14 ) and is it an older or newer model? I'm guessing it is a newer model.

Thanks in advance for your help. It is a great shaver.........

That looks like the new ones to me.

I had a post about this a few months back because I bout one of these off of a guy on ebay. Every one thought it was a "chinese fake". How ever it turned out that it was indeed real. Just did not have the marking on the tang that the other older ones have.

From what I could gather from the guys with more years doing this than me(leon Max), these one CS has and the one I bought from Spain "that are identical" are made from a different steel. Not the old spanish steel. That would have to explain the diff in honing and general ease of working with.

When I found out this was indeed a real one just a different steel then I sold it (at a discount) and went a different route.

Hope this helps.