Thread: T(?).R.Frodxin

It´s really hard to say, but in the high resolution picture one can see that the bottom of the "R" is faded so it could be that it´s an I with the bottom missing due to poor stamping. On the other hand , if it was a T, why would they use a different style of letters than in the rest of the stamping? compared with the T in CAST and STEEL it would clearly be a different style while all the other letters are consistent in style. That would a least be quite uncommon.

It might well be an 'I', but if you look at the top of the 'I' the bottom left side of the top bar is more or less straight - if anything it slopes upwards a little from the upright part of the letter. The 'T' on the other hand has the bottom left side of the bar sloping downwards in both examples. I put the three letters together and you can see a ghost of a bottom slanting top bar on that first character:



Regards,
Neil

If i look at Your comparison one can see that the bars of the T in CAST and STEEL are more rounded than in the I in FRODXIN therefore i´d still think the "unknown" letter is more likely an I whith the bottom missing than a T with top and bottom missing

Regards
Chris

Quite possibly, Chris. The stamping was probaly done on softish metal before the final grinding was done, and any curve/irregularity in the surface of the metal before stamping would lead to loss of definition. I can see that the slope near the first T could conceivably lose the top left of the bar, for instance. The bottom is a mystery - but then the bottom of that first 'R' is missing too - compare it with the next 'R' that is just visible. The bottom bar of the 'F' is also missing - but the dot that is between two letters with missing bottom serifs is intact - weird! Further finishing and polishing after heat treatments were finished would lead to even more loss of definition, add to that the fact that the stamp itself was hand-cut in the first place.

Regards,
Neil

I find the history elements on razors fascinating. Thanks to all of you who helped to possibly unravel this mystery. It is an absolutely stunning razor.

I do have one question: when a razor has that much smile, how do you hone it?

Thanks.

Smiling razors are usually honed using a rolling x stroke, I find that it also helps to "heel-forward" through the session.