Thread: Thiers Issard

I just traded for a purported Thiers Issard Bison. When the razor arrived I discovered the blade had no markings on the shank although the shadows of what had been gold wash denotes it as a TI. I knew it was vintage when I traded for it and traded with a senior member here. What gives with the lack of stamping on the shank?

Some photos would help.

I've never seen a TI without markings.

I will try to take some tonight-I have a number of razors and they all are stamped so I am a little stumped as to how this came into being-its in a set of Thier style horn scales and has the Thiers case although the case is soft black leather rather than the saddle leather cases my other Thiers have. Someone went to alot of trouble for a forgery if indeed thats what this is. I can't imagine that Thiers Issard would ever allow a second quality blade to be sold but maybe that's the explanation.

TI without markings is strange, but they also sell (and sold) razors made with blanks from other companies that they had the occasion to buy in stock. That could be the case and they didn't care to mark the blank at that stage of work.

Originally Posted by Sterm

TI without markings is strange, but they also sell (and sold) razors made with blanks from other companies that they had the occasion to buy in stock. That could be the case and they didn't care to mark the blank at that stage of work.

As far as i know Thiers Issard did in fact purchase blanks from Le Grelot but those were marked as well. That said i can see a stamp like the one pictures bellow wearing off pretty quickly.

Originally Posted by thance

although the case is soft black leather rather than the saddle leather cases my other Thiers have.

I've gotten some recent (last few years) TIs with the black soft case rather than the tan saddle leather. I've never seen a TI without markings on the tang and many of them have a blade etching IME. Curious.

I'll try to get some pictures online this evening. Its a very good blade and I don't feel cheated in any way but it is a curiosity to me. Seeing the 'stamp' that Martin included in his response-which looks much more like an etching to me, I could easily see how it would have polished off-as I said most of the gold wash is gone at this point and the spine is somewhat worn, so I assume the razor has some age on it

I have 2 TI "Spartacus" (self serving promo, one is going up on the bay tonight)

1 of them is older, and came in a soft black leather pouch, the other one is newer (but still "vintage") and it also came in a soft black leather pouch. The "newer of the two has a very light etch in comparison, and I can see it wearing and one day vanishing, especially should it ever be polished on.
Does it have a "made in france" stamp on the back of the tang?

In taking some picture tonight I did find the very faint shadows of Thiers Issard etched on the tang, which I had earlier referred to as the shank. The information isn't stamped as I was accustomed to seeing on quality razors I will try to get the pictures online later tonight but the mystery is solved. Thanks Martin.