This is probably an appropriate place...
Does anyone know what the numbers on the tangs stand for? I swear that I've yet to see the same one twice, though I'm positive there are plenty of each number out there. I tried to find out quickly on here and the general internet to no avail. The two guesses I've come up with are:
1) Some sort of batch number, so lower numbers mean older razors.
2) An ID number for the shop and/or craftsman who made the specific blade.
I think it would be really cool if you could use the number of the tang to find out a little bit more history of your particular blade(s).