Thread: Are Filarmonica razors really that great ?

I have a question that has been begging to be asked.

What makes Filarmonica razors so sought after ? Is there really something there or is it just hype ?

These razors look awesome but does the way they do their job justify the price tag ?

If you favour Filly's over any other razors, then which razors do you prefer them to ?

And if you think they are overrated, have you tried one or more and which razors are better in your opinion ?

Thanks,
Ian.

I won two Filarmonicas. I DT 12 and DT 13. They are probably my top two shavers along with my Scheon Burg.

I think my Fillys are on another level compared to my other razors, so yes, they are worth the price in my opinion.

Of course, worth of straight razors is subjective.

Yes - 'nuff said!

They are great razors, of course most quality manufacturers make great razors. What is "worth it" to one of us might not be to another. Bottom line of it all is that the Fili's take a great edge and hold it well. They give a smooth comfortable shave when properly honed. Only you can say whether you think they justify the cost because what works for you may not work as well for me...

They are very good, thats for sure, even though the scales are a bit tacky. But they are great shavers and take a wicked edge.

They feel very similar to Wackers in my opinion.

Although there are many shavers as good or even better than Filarmonicas out there, the difference is the availability, and the size...

Finding a 6/8+ size DD, C-Mon, or Boker, is as rare as Hen's teeth and don't even think you are blessed enough to even see a 6/8+ American...

As crazy as that sounds bigger blades have an intrinsic value, just because of "more steel", add the 7/8 and 8/8 size to a buttery smooth edge and you get stupid prices

Same thing happened with the big Sheffield blades...

So as the saying goes "size does matter", and it pushed the value of the brand higher just because of name recognition...


That is all JMHO take it for what it is worth, and yes I own Fili's but I haven't ever paid more than $105 for a #14 DT

I borrowed a Filarmonica 6/8, and shaved with it a few time. I'm glad I didn't buy one like it. First, I don't particularily like the 6/8 larger blades. And, I have razors that have cost me under 10 bucks that could shave rings around it.. my opinion, my face. I will say it was a very pretty blade. But, for shaving I thought I wouldn't like it as well and probably would not use it as much. Revisor makes quite a few 6/8 blades at their website.. .or did. They are exceptional things of beauty, but I would not go for them, even though I love Revisor, because of the larger size.

The cheapes razor I own, a Gold Bug made in Solingen Germany by A. Witte, that I bought for about 5.00 gives a bettr shave then the Filarmonica I had for a while. In all due respect, it was not my razor and as such I did not try to hone it, or improve on it. It might have done better with a little work.

There's an old saying about success. It's 5% more. If someone would spend 5% more time on whatever they are doing, many times it's the difference between excellent and "ok".

You can find a plethora of other brands who will do the job equally well.
At a much much lower price.

That said, I have more than a dozen of them now....

My reasons for having bought them are simple; they take an exceptional edge very easy, they look very good and they are wonderful shavers.

Worth it?
To me they are, others might find it the ultimate stupidity.
And I see on the bay that the prices aren't exactly going down either.
So from an investment point of view, I feel pretty good about it

They are up there in my "Favorite Shavers" list. What makes them sought after....
The are NOS, meaning they're new, but old, they never sold all of them back in the day.
So, it's like buying a new razor from the 1950.s Here's a quote from Max's website:

Filarmonica - The company started manufacturing straight razors in 1915 in the city of Mataró, province of Barcelona. They are considered as one of the best manufacturers of cutlery, knifes and razors. About 20 years ago the company shut down all operations and closed their doors.


So, the Fily's are Nos, They're super sharp out of the box, a rare thing for any str8 razor. How do they compare to others, Well, I guess a lot of it's personal preference.
What I like, you may not, and vice versa. I've used many different brands of straight razors, vintage, new and custom. Fily remains in my top ten list. For me, they kind of remind me of shaving with a vintage Dubl Duck Wonderedge...Just scary sharp...

It's one of the few blades a practiced hand can pick up out of the box, and go, "WoW"....YMMV

Originally Posted by Shuriken

I have a question that has been begging to be asked.

What makes Filarmonica razors so sought after ? Is there really something there or is it just hype ?

These razors look awesome but does the way they do their job justify the price tag ?

If you favour Filly's over any other razors, then which razors do you prefer them to ?

And if you think they are overrated, have you tried one or more and which razors are better in your opinion ?

Thanks,
Ian.

I think of it like some think of classic cars. Many vehicles offer you a safe, fine ride to get you where you need to go. Some cars have more "cachet" to some than others. The same for razors. For me, buying a Filarmonica was cheaper than getting a 1957 Ford Thunderbird.

I bought a NOS DT13 while they were priced below my "Go/No-go" decision point. I shaved with it right out of the box, and it delivered a very nice shave. I tweaked it, and the shave got even better. I love shaving with it, and I hope to never have to sell it.

I think they are fine razors, but a lot of the appeal is hype. There are lots of vintage razors that will give you just as fine a shave. Just to name an example, I recently shaved with a vintage Boker King Cutter, and I was very impressed. It doesn't have the "cachet" of the Filarmonicas, but it's a very nice razor.

Sometimes, hype is not necessarily a bad thing though. It all boils down to having a chance to enjoy something that might appeal to you.

Look at it this way. A Filly DT 13 can usually be had in the range of $200-250 and the DT 14's slightly higher.

A new razor from Thiers Issard costs easily in that range if not more. I haven't shaved with a new TI, but I can honestly say the my DT 13 and DT 14 are among the best shavers I've ever used.

So to me, yes they are worth it. If you are considering buying a new razor, then buying a NOS Filly for the prices they go for is really not all that expensive.

If we start talking about the Filarmonica Novodurs.....well that is another discussion.