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.

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

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...

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

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.

I have a couple fillies and they are so easy to work with on the hones. I put an incredible edge on the one I use and it's definitely in my top 5 shavers.

Truth is are they great shaver ?
Yes they are?
question is are there any cheaper razor available will be shaving in same level as Filli and for less price?
Answer is Yes.
gl.

Originally Posted by Harvitz81

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.

Remember in this case you are comparing a new razor with a NOS razor. In just about any scenario the NOS will outperform a new razor. I have a couple of vintage Dovo razors and they will flat out shave just about any razor I have and I pretty much have them all.

As far as the fillys go all this hype makes me laugh. 6-7 years ago they were unknown and then Classic Shaving started selling the last ones made. They were no where near shave ready out of the box and were touchy to hone and as I recall were sold for around $100. After that the hype started and guys started going crazy over them and the prices climbed.