Thread: looking for Masonic etching pictures

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Here's a W&B variant with gold.. Maybe gives you some freedom to interpret

Nice!

How did you get a hold of a razor such as this one in that shape? I've been looking for one for a while now.

Originally Posted by jrlosh

Nice!

Was this a find in an antiques store or something? I've been looking for one for a while now.

I wish No I pulled the pic off the net some time ago. A museum piece or some guys collection maybe.

I looked at booth pictures I think they are etched reversed. On my blade the symbols are positive and on the other blade the symbols are negative. My son is a 21st degree Scottish Write and does not recognize all the symbols. He said some of them are English. (we know that)

Originally Posted by manah

It's not another. It's the same razor. My picture from Wostenholm catalog 1885.

A lot of the symbols have double meanings - one for the uninitiated, the other for those in-the-know.

At the top are the sun, moon and stars, representing the holy host of heaven and making a trinity. The sun and moon (one to light the day, another to light the night) are part of the creation myth, and an eye (if present) represents the all-seeing eye of God.

The "mystic" or "theological" ladder is the one seen by Jacob in his dream, the esoteric meaning is a bridge between heaven and earth, the more prosaic one that of a ladder between the floor of the Masonic lodge and the roof, representing advancement. Early examples have just seven steps.

Then there are the three pillars - wisdom/strength/beauty - the foundation of the Lodge. The three represent not only an ideal, but also a trinity and may also refer to actual temples that had the roof stone supported by three pillars.

Next are the twin pillars of Solomons Temple - Joachim and Boaz, signifying duality, male and female, above which is the arch (vault of heaven) often showing the all-seeing eye, with the cornerstone (strength) of the temple being at its apex - God. The temple floor is sometimes shown too - chequered, white/black - another duality of light/shade, pleasure/pain/, joy/sorrow. life/death. Between the columns on your razor you have the Star of David. Besides its obvious meaning it can be seen as two triangles, one pointing up to heaven, one pointing down to earth - macrocosm/microcosm, "ut supra, ut infra" - as above, so below - an occult meaning of Hermetic significance meaning that the actions of one influence the actions of the other. The star often has a "G" at its centre, ostensibly for "God" or "Geometry" but with an ancient arcane significance of generation and a phallic symbol.

Below the floor are the compasses and square - the ancient tools of the mason, (a steel square rule was used until comparatively in the building trade - I remember my father giving me a book on how to use it when I was a boy) together they are said to tell the mason to be fair and square to all men and to practice moderation in all things. Another meaning is that the square measures plane things and the compasses round things - earth and heaven, and also female (square) and male (compasses) - another symbol of generation.

To one side is the plumb-bob, meaning that the mason must live his life with rectitude - Amos saw the Lord with a plumb-line in his hand. To the other side is the scythe - it cuts the thread of life to launch man into eternity and is often accompanied with the hour-glass, a symbol of the transience of life - the pair have a grim meaning at first but really mean resurrection.

The other two shapes are a bit enigmatic - the rounded one could be the head of the gavel (control, discipline) but I'm not sure about the other one: bottom of the hour glass perhaps?

Here is a link to some masonic graphics that can be enalrged to copy or study, might be helpful.

Regards,
Neil (not a mason!) Miller