Here is a pic of a Masonic chopper I got a over a year or two ago. I ll try to post some better pics of the symbols on the blade, below the omega symbol you can see the compass and a square there is also a ladder,happy sun,sad moon,9 stars and a few more symbols. The razor is a Celebrated and it came in a coffin case box. How old does anyone think this razor is Id like to know?
Old Masonic Chopper
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Holy smokes!! You could clear cut a forest with that thing!
What is the size, if you don't mind me asking...
What is the size, if you don't mind me asking...
That's a beast!!
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At the widest with my caliper 1.1345 like (1 1/8 ) and at the narrowest 1.032 (1 1/32 ) the cutting edge is 3.030 (3 1/16) and the thickness is 0.255 (1/4) wedge. This is one of my favorite razors.
Who made it? Really nice razor!! It doesn't look like a W&B, and I can't read the tang engraving from the photos.
Super chopper and a great find!
Super chopper and a great find!
Fredrick Reynolds perhaps?
tis a nice razor, indeed!
That's a scary beast! Nice!
Wow! Must be fun to try shaving under the nose with that. 
Very nice! You gotta love those 1"+ choppers. Enjoy!
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It has Celebrated on top and some other letters underneath Celebrated then it says ready for use. I will take a close up shot and post it maby a freemason on here can explain to me what the letters stand for, I hope.
hmmm, I wonder if it was done at the factory, or some Masonic Engraver did the work on their own.
Still, is an interesting piece, Probably got one heck of a story behind it.
Still, is an interesting piece, Probably got one heck of a story behind it.
Come on, you know that we can't do that. Besides, it would put all those conspiricy theory folks out of business if we start explaining every thing!!
1860's-1880's.
Very nice. I would love to see the engravings up and close.
It looks more like it was an acid etching on the blade instead of engraving.
are the symbols slightly raised to the frosted background?? If so then it was definately an etching.
edit: the blade was indeed acid etched. Here is a website that I found that shows a couple of examples of masonic razors.
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/masonic_straight_razor.htm
are the symbols slightly raised to the frosted background?? If so then it was definately an etching.
edit: the blade was indeed acid etched. Here is a website that I found that shows a couple of examples of masonic razors.
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/masonic_straight_razor.htm
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I would guess that an engraver probably did do the work on these blades, just not in a typical sense.
These blades where acid etched. The blade was finished out and then a resistive substance was coated onto the blade (usually asphaultum a petroleum based substance like tar). The engraver then used a stylus to cut or scrape away the tar where he wanted the acid to eat into the metal. Once the design was finished the blade was dipped into some type of acid to eat into the metal. The longer the time exposure, the deeper the etching. The blade is then taken out cleaned up and is ready for sharpening.
This type of masonic symbolism is typical of this time period in England. This would be a master's razor. I have researched other forms of masonic artwork from this period and the general grouping of symbols stays the same, however the arrangement and individual types of symbols may and will change from piece to piece. Some of the symbology represented on these razors has largely fallen out of use in todays masonary, some has not. A large part being the natural evolution between English and North American masonary.
All of these types of masonic razors represent a point in time where art and funtion lived side by side. A time where each piece of art was unique and indivual to it's maker.
ok, off soapbox.
hope this helps answer a few questions
cheers
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