No divots that I can tell.
Printable View
I was able to find out a bit about the name engraved actually. The back scale has the name E.M. Beasley scratched into it. A bit of google searching and I learned that Hannah Leaming was married to Amos C. Moore on 18 July, 1806 and had a daughter named Sarah Leaming Moore who was married on 2 May, 1831 to Edward Maurice Beasley M.D. Oh and apparently Edward Maurice Beasley M.D. is a Mayflower Pilgrim descendant.
I think that perhaps the razor was presented as a wedding gift to Amos when he married Hannah and then perhaps gifted to Edward when he married Sarah. I'm probably totally wrong on that though. Just my initial assumption. Gonna research some more for sure though.
2nd pic in post 7 tells me elephant ivory. Cut the way it is, shreger lines are buried. Can see the edges of them, JMO
Take a look at this post by Zak, good pix of the variations in ivory, + text to boot.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ml#post1120209
The whole thread is good really.
yeah the scales are ivory
Leaning towards Ivory.
How thin are they?
Thin scales,(some very thin), collarless pins, quality razor and the feel, No other scale feels like Ivory, It feels oily to me, like a polished finger nail, not just smooth, slippery.
There is a 60x lighted loupe that sells for a couple dollars, that has a white & UV light. UV & magnification make it a little easier to see the lines. Like Zak says the lines are hard to see on some.
The feel for me is the tell.
The pics aren't the greatest, but I, too, am leaning toward Ivory. I think I see schreger lines toward the bottom of the scale in post #7. I think. A steeper angle in more diffused light would make them pop more. If you have known pieces in bone click them against your teeth. Then click these against your teeth. You'll know right away by the difference if they're Ivory.
The photos is Post #7 look to be Ivory.
And like others, that is an amazing razor in excellent condition to be coasting up to 200 years old...
Thank you for sharing...