Thread: What's this about

I have seen this pattern on quite a few razors. Was it a way of marking rejects or seconds?

Haven't got a clue..The scales are probably French and the pattern may be side jimps. I have not seen it on any other razors of the few hundred I have handled at one time or another.
I could wish the show side photo was better!

~Richard

Scales are horn. I just made them.
I know manufacturer:
C. F. ERN
MODEL: ATOR

Just could not figure why manufacturer would do that.

IIRC a number of years ago this was brought up and one of the possibilities given was that this was done by the owner. At times Germany had a bad name as during one of the world wars and no owner wanted a connection to Germany showing. Good as any guess I suppose.

Bob

Of course it can also be the owner wanted heavier jimps than what came with the razor.

Originally Posted by BobH

IIRC a number of years ago this was brought up and one of the possibilities given was that this was done by the owner. At times Germany had a bad name as during one of the world wars and no owner wanted a connection to Germany showing. Good as any guess I suppose.

Bob

Yes, I remember an older thread that showed a boxed Escher/Thuringer stone, the "Germany" part on the label was crossed out and made unrecognizable, seems like a very reasonable explanation

Makes sense that it could be getting rid of the "Germany" on the blade. Remember the hysteria of World War One, when roads were renamed and anything Germanic was edited. In my home town of Baltimore, German Street was renamed Redwood Street. World War one is prime straight razor time, so this explanation holds water.

I guess the removal of Germany is as good an explanation as any. I can't think why you would need side jimps. I don't hold my razor that way at all and I have some razors with no jimping at all and the handling does not suffer for it.

The only reason I can think for having side jimps would perhaps be for the barber who whilst shaving others may hold the razor differently. Whatever the reason it looks like it was done well. I think that a better way to get rid of a name would be to polish it out, and typically the country of origin isn't on both sides.

I guess this is one more thing that we will never truly know.

Maybe he was more like us, just messing around with his razor, a little customizing

Thanks guys. The German idea makes the most sense. Whatever the reason it must have been stamped in with a file because the lines are too evenly spaced.
And the mystery goes on!