well, since i'm the only one who has seen this thing up close, i'm saying it's been plated. the plating ran into the lettering leaving spots where you can see to the original steel. it's just a mess. if i'm going to acquire one of the marquee names in the razor pantheon, i'm not going to settle for a pos like this. maybe it will be re-posted on ebay and someone can grab it, but trust me, this razor is so ugly i wonder who can it's momma be.