Filarmonica is a well known Spanish straight razor brand. The company was founded by Jose Monserrat Pou in Barcelona. It was active between 1915 and 1990. The first two generations of straight razors which were produced during the Jose Monserrat Pou period are especially valuable among collectors. Due to their quality steel, fine workmanship, comfortable shaves and being one of the few manufacturers out of Spain, Filarmonicas are still very popular with straight razor users today.
The listed razor is a second generation Filarmonica 12 Straight Razor model, produced between 67-79. It is 5/8” in size and full hollow. It has some traces of use and old corrosion stains on it, we cleaned and polished it as much as possible, and made matte scales from olive wood. This straight razor has typical Filarmonica steel which is moderately hard and consistent. A nice razor for both beginners and experienced users.
Straight Razor Care Instructions
Unlike any other shaving tools, straight razors require special care. The cutting edge must be protected from impacts and contact with any hard surface. After each shave you must clean and dry your straight razor with a soft paper towel without touching the very edge and strop it to keep it sharp. You can strop on the canvas side of your strop to clean the cutting edge after each shave. Please do not try to sharpen your straight razor by yourself if you don’t have adequate honing experience, otherwise you can cause irreparable damage. You may consult our straight razor honing service. If you won’t be using your straight razor for a long time, it’s best to cover it with a thin coat of oil to keep it rust free. This is especially important for straight razors with carbon steels, as carbon steel is very prone to rust in humid conditions. Keep your straight razor in a dry place and out of children’s reach.
CAUTION: Straight razors are serious tools for experienced users who know their faces, skins, whisker types and how to lather well. They can cause serious accidents and injuries in the hands of people without enough experience. If you’re enthusiastic about traditional wet shaving but don’t have the experience needed for using a straight razor, then we recommend checking out our double edge safety razors first.