Some remarks on dating Filarmonica razors by their scales
The Filarmonica company had a long history, from somewhat before World War I to the late 1980s, when the name of JMP disappeared from the tangs of the razors marked Filarmonica and the quality is believed have declined. During these 70 or so years there were a number of different scales for the razors, with varying ornamentation or logos and some of these can offer clues to the period in which the razors were made.
During the Spanish Civil War, as the company was in Catalonia, it was collectivized by the two major unions, FAI and CNT, who held great political power in the area. I have seen pictures of some Filarmonicas stamped FAI and CNT and dated 1936. I have heard that the scales on these razors were red and black the colors of the anarcho-syndicalist movement in Catalonia, but I have never actually seen such scales. JMP seems to have survived through the later 30 and early 1940s without any retribution for this from Franco.
The first iteration, what is called Generation I, of the Filarmonicas was before 1953, when the company was required to mark the razors with the country of origin. A. is an example of this first post War iteration I would guess it dates from about 1948. It is marked Especial and the name of JMP runs across the top of the tang in a curve. The scales are plain bakelite and the pins are not collared, but simply peened
Shortly after 1953 the scales and decoration changed in an effort to be more up-market. Now the company used a transparent plastic, in my opinion the most beautiful of their scales, and offered it in red, green, brown, and white and black. Along the flat of the scales was inlaid a bright metal pair of stags in combat. This motif and its presence were probably a bow to the popularity of Solingen made razors. I don’t have one of these razors to show, but the stamping on the tang was the same and now the pins are collared. They are pretty common. Some say “Made in Spain” and some do not. This pattern continued to about 1955 and started Generation II.
B. In the mid 1950s Filarmonicas changed to scales with a lyre logo of the same bright metal as the stags, inlaid in the translucent blue plastic and the orientation was along the scales. This particular razor has only “Made in Spain” in English and the stamping is the name in a curve across the top of the tang. Note that it has a very unusual center support to the scales. This is a very early Generation II.
C. About 1967 in an effort to capture more of the market, they came out with some variants on the idea of “Double Tempered” and these were called Sub Cero or Novodur, both referring to some new and mysterious character of the steel or the cryonic tempering. The Novodur now had a matte plastic, with a jade green being common, and the center support. Now on the tang the brand Filarmonica went without curve across the top and then came the model and then the name of the maker. On scales of this period, mostly Novodur and Sub Cero, there was about an inch and a half of reeding with a raised oval and a lyre picked in gold, again facing the length of the scales.
D. In the late 70s early 80s, the plastic was no long translucent or matte but shiny, black, white mostly There was also a stainless model with a sort of cinnamon or metallic plastic scale. The quality of the grind was still good. Now the lyre shifted to a position at right angles to the scales and it was followed by the name in lower case picked out in gold paint. The stamping on the tang was as the post 1967 razors.
E. is the latest razor I have with stamping on tang same as the others post 1967, a little coarser grind and polish. The lyre is facing long ways and there is no brand name after it. Maybe very late 1970s to early 1980s
Generation III. From here on there was some variants without the gold wash around the model name on the blade. Either no etch at all, or a sort of italic etch with a speedy looking “Filarmonica” and on the handles just the name crudely stamped. Some of these very late razors say about mid 1980s start to appear without the boxes but with a plastic slip cover instead.
I hope this little tour has been useful. Note that the D and E razors are reversed in the pictures, so the white or pearl plastic with the simple lyre and nothing else is the latest style.
The Filarmonica company had a long history, from somewhat before World War I to the late 1980s, when the name of JMP disappeared from the tangs of the razors marked Filarmonica and the quality is believed have declined. During these 70 or so years there were a number of different scales for the razors, with varying ornamentation or logos and some of these can offer clues to the period in which the razors were made.
During the Spanish Civil War, as the company was in Catalonia, it was collectivized by the two major unions, FAI and CNT, who held great political power in the area. I have seen pictures of some Filarmonicas stamped FAI and CNT and dated 1936. I have heard that the scales on these razors were red and black the colors of the anarcho-syndicalist movement in Catalonia, but I have never actually seen such scales. JMP seems to have survived through the later 30 and early 1940s without any retribution for this from Franco.
The first iteration, what is called Generation I, of the Filarmonicas was before 1953, when the company was required to mark the razors with the country of origin. A. is an example of this first post War iteration I would guess it dates from about 1948. It is marked Especial and the name of JMP runs across the top of the tang in a curve. The scales are plain bakelite and the pins are not collared, but simply peened
Shortly after 1953 the scales and decoration changed in an effort to be more up-market. Now the company used a transparent plastic, in my opinion the most beautiful of their scales, and offered it in red, green, brown, and white and black. Along the flat of the scales was inlaid a bright metal pair of stags in combat. This motif and its presence were probably a bow to the popularity of Solingen made razors. I don’t have one of these razors to show, but the stamping on the tang was the same and now the pins are collared. They are pretty common. Some say “Made in Spain” and some do not. This pattern continued to about 1955 and started Generation II.
B. In the mid 1950s Filarmonicas changed to scales with a lyre logo of the same bright metal as the stags, inlaid in the translucent blue plastic and the orientation was along the scales. This particular razor has only “Made in Spain” in English and the stamping is the name in a curve across the top of the tang. Note that it has a very unusual center support to the scales. This is a very early Generation II.
C. About 1967 in an effort to capture more of the market, they came out with some variants on the idea of “Double Tempered” and these were called Sub Cero or Novodur, both referring to some new and mysterious character of the steel or the cryonic tempering. The Novodur now had a matte plastic, with a jade green being common, and the center support. Now on the tang the brand Filarmonica went without curve across the top and then came the model and then the name of the maker. On scales of this period, mostly Novodur and Sub Cero, there was about an inch and a half of reeding with a raised oval and a lyre picked in gold, again facing the length of the scales.
D. In the late 70s early 80s, the plastic was no long translucent or matte but shiny, black, white mostly There was also a stainless model with a sort of cinnamon or metallic plastic scale. The quality of the grind was still good. Now the lyre shifted to a position at right angles to the scales and it was followed by the name in lower case picked out in gold paint. The stamping on the tang was as the post 1967 razors.
E. is the latest razor I have with stamping on tang same as the others post 1967, a little coarser grind and polish. The lyre is facing long ways and there is no brand name after it. Maybe very late 1970s to early 1980s
Generation III. From here on there was some variants without the gold wash around the model name on the blade. Either no etch at all, or a sort of italic etch with a speedy looking “Filarmonica” and on the handles just the name crudely stamped. Some of these very late razors say about mid 1980s start to appear without the boxes but with a plastic slip cover instead.
I hope this little tour has been useful. Note that the D and E razors are reversed in the pictures, so the white or pearl plastic with the simple lyre and nothing else is the latest style.
