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Filarmonica help needed...please

I own three Filarmonicas. The first one, well it's made in Pakistan, we all are allowed to make some mistakes. It took me awhile before I ventured outside my straight razor safety zone once again.... once bitten twice shy. When I finally did buy another Filarmonica it was a NOS second generation. I am very pleased with it and have been so a couple of years. Then the Master Enabler Dave @skypsyd got a 12 and I suddenly thought; Hey that's a 5/8 I wonder what it would be like to shave with it? I really like 4-5/8 razors. Within a day or two I had bought one. Dave is a truly great guy and I hope he'll continue to make B&B such a great place to be.

My question is if my new razor is a first or second generation. I have close to no experience of Filarmonica, but the scales and curved Jose Monserrat Pou on the tang signals first generation to me. The "Made in Spain" says second generation, but then again my knowledge is minimal. The generation issue is not important to me, I like the razor, but having this fixation on history it would be nice to be able to sort the razor into the correct place in history.

I want to thank any respondent in advance.

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Hi,

Maybe this can help you (please use a translator):
I think that the better help will come from a Spanish forum, post there yours doubts.
 
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That @Skyspyd guy must be a darn good salesman! I've bought more than a few razors from his low key thought control.... thanks buddy! Love the new razor Arne, I know nothing about it...


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@Polarbeard , @Luecke2326 Who Me, I am just a humble Servant of the Central Enablement Center, however....................

You are getting very sleepy, LOL

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BTW Very Nice Fili Arne, thanks for the comments... and yest you are stuck with me, LOL
 
That @Skyspyd guy must be a darn good salesman! I've bought more than a few razors from his low key thought control.... thanks buddy! Love the new razor Arne, I know nothing about it...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@Polarbeard , @Luecke2326 Who Me, I am just a humble Servant of the Central Enablement Center, however....................

You are getting very sleepy, LOL

proxy.php


BTW Very Nice Fili Arne, thanks for the comments... and yest you are stuck with me, LOL

Thank you, You give me a lot of smiles and laughter.
 
Tomorrow I think I might do a long post about the necessity of luxury shaving soap holders in the enabler thread. Or I might just spend the day in the forest picking mushrooms.
LOL, I would vote for the latter. Me loves the shrooms ( the food grade edible kind , not the Wow Dude look at that poster move kind, LOL
 
LOL, I would vote for the latter. Me loves the shrooms ( the food grade edible kind , not the Wow Dude look at that poster move kind, LOL
Now you got me me going Dave, but since this thread already is totally derailed why not? The picture below is of a poisonous mushroom. Some historians claim that the red (hallucogenic) skin was consumed by the Viking berserkers before going into battle. It will be more family friendly mushrooms that I'll be looking for tomorrow, but the pictured one is rather common.
röd flugsvamp.jpg

Bärsärk.jpg
 
That's a fine looking specimen, Arne ,enjoy

THESE WORDS ARE NOT MINE I TRANSLATED THEM FROM A SPANISH FORUM FOR OUR INFO AND FOR TIME AND POSTERITY

Guide to dating Knives FILARMONICA

Hello everyone,
I do not know if it happens to be the same thing, but every time I find a Philharmonic knife for sale or auction I get the same doubt: the date of manufacture.
I had not found anything related to the subject until I found a post in a British forum, which gathers all the information we need to date one of these prized Spanish knives.
This is the translated text:


First generation: 1915-1967.

The versions prior to 1959 do not have "Spanish Fabrication / Made in Spain" on the back of the spike.

We can find three varieties of the "Special" model:
- The spike shows "José Montserrat Pou" curved with the eagle, and the number 14 in vertical.
- The spigot shows "Imperial". "Jose Montserrat Pou" straight and horizontal # 14 with the lyre.
- The spike shows "José Montserrat Pou" curved with "Philharmonic" straight, and the number 14 in vertical.
They also have the gold musical label "Special / Philharmonic" on the sheet.

The original Double Temple.
Spike similar to Special, with "José Montserrat Pou" curved with "Philharmonic" straight, and the # 14 in vertical. It has a different gold seal on the sheet, showing the initials "JMP" in the middle. Later the initials will be replaced by the lyre.

The limited edition "Bullfighting Medallion":
They are DT 13s with 6 themes related to bullfighting:
Banderillas, Capote, Lunge, Catch, Crutch and Rejoneo

The "Sub Zero" is a DT with a special treatment of the blade.



Second generation: 1967-1979
New handles, gold seals and different marks on the spikes characterize this era.
The primings on the spike follow the following uniform style: horizontally with the lyre and (from top to bottom straight horizontal) "Jose Montserrat Pou", model and "Philharmonic".

The Special For Hard Beards replaces the Special, with laser primer and a rubber on the spike.
DT continues to be the flagship of the brand.
4 new models appear:
- TRIDUR EPBD: trivalent chromium to prevent corrosion. Harder to sharpen. The model on the sheet as in the EPBD.
- Novodur: third pin (stabilizer) in the grips.
- Special for haircut
- INOX: Stainless steel DT.


Third generation: José Montserrat Pou passed away in the late 70-early 80's. His son took over the company, apparently continued to sell the old stock.
In 1985 razor barbers were banned in Spanish barbers, which decreased demand and along with the disappearance of the founder directly affected production.
The key to identifying this era is the disappearance of the name "Jose Montserrat Pou" of the spike. These are the "Gold Seal".


Fourth generation: JMP's son dies shortly after his father and his daughter takes over. The company closed soon after in 1990.
Steel comes from Pakistan, of inferior quality.
No marks on the spike; only "FILARMONICA -DOBLE TEMPLE" in the sheet.
Some in the box "Gold Seal", others simply in plastic cases.


Knives of the first generation are considered the highest quality produced by the brand. In practice when comparing the first and second generation, there do not seem to be large differences. There is no reason to think that the first knives of the third generation are inferior to the previous ones, but any knife that does not bear the name "Jose Montserrat Pou" is 'suspect'.

I hope it is useful: pc:
Sometimes old ways are the best.
 
There are also transitional variants between generations, yours may be one of those

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That's a fine looking specimen, Arne ,enjoy

THESE WORDS ARE NOT MINE I TRANSLATED THEM FROM A SPANISH FORUM FOR OUR INFO AND FOR TIME AND POSTERITY

Guide to dating Knives FILARMONICA


This is the translated text:


First generation: 1915-1967.

The versions prior to 1959 do not have "Spanish Fabrication / Made in Spain" on the back of the spike.


I see it quoted differently, and it may be a translation thing. Abot it says "prior to 1959". I have also seen it as "prior to 1950"


Anybody have ideas about this?
 
Also, could the experienced fili owners tell me what is meant by a vertical number vs a horizontal number?

The number 14 on the tang on mine is rotated ninety degrees from the words to the right of it. Unlike Polarbeard's razor. Does this mean the number is vertical or horizontal?

It makes a difference when dating first vs second generation.

I'm asking for my own interest, as well as Polarbeard's
 
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