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While perusing the auction by the bay, this popped up. While it is listed as a Wade & Butcher, something (other than the blade shae) just don't look right. To me, it looks like the tang reads, "Water Butch(ry)".
Nonetheless, it's unique.
Unique Antique Wade & Butcher Straight Razor | eBay
I had a guy at an antique store (who didn't know anything about SR's) show me a blade that was filed down like that.
The "R" you see is probably just an "&" that wore away or wasn't stamped completely to begin with.
Could have been altered to be a knife, or a letter opener OR???????????:shrug:
I agree about the R actually being what's left of a &.
probably a relic from one of the old straight razor gangs.:shrug:
I've seen them like that before. Some thought they were turned into corn razors. Maybe the guy just needed a knife. Maybe the blade was damaged and that was the salvage.
Somewhere I had come across an article written by an old woodcarver on how to take used straight razors and grind them down to carving knives. So it was definitely an established thing to repurpose SRs. The stamp on this one is fine, just worn and possibly distorted a bit.
Interesting find! I have not seen anything like that before but it makes sense, especially if your razor was worn down and you needed a knife.
I have seen some wood carvers do that to old straight razors on poor shape.
Have fun.