Early Italian tubing

Nabeaquam

BoTM Winner
I have an early Gloria. The stamped tubing mark reads EXTRASTAHLROHR TITANUS. IMG_0037.jpeg IMG_0038.jpeg
There is scant info that I could find about this tubing on the net. It was considered very high quality seamless tubing in the 1920s. According to the net this tubing was a German patent but manufactured in Italy. The stamped mark might be able to be translated into something more meaningful. If anyone knows more, please share.
 
Those words are German. Stahl is steel and rohr is pipe. Titanus might refer to titanium but I'd be clutching at straws. There's a titanium-stabilised variant of 316 stainless, but your steel is nowhere near bright enough (or modern enough I think) to be that. In your pics it has that grey, leaded look of molybdenum steel.

Can't quite make out what the middle bit says, is it K = 58 1/2? Again, clutching at straws, maybe strength? 58.5ksi would be 403MPa though, which is a bit too low for a steel.
 
Those words are German. Stahl is steel and rohr is pipe. Titanus might refer to titanium but I'd be clutching at straws. There's a titanium-stabilised variant of 316 stainless, but your steel is nowhere near bright enough (or modern enough I think) to be that. In your pics it has that grey, leaded look of molybdenum steel.

Can't quite make out what the middle bit says, is it K = 58 1/2? Again, clutching at straws, maybe strength? 58.5ksi would be 403MPa though, which is a bit too low for a steel.
I never noticed that before. It’s a large old frame. I just measured it when I got it but that’s close to what I got. “Top notch steel pipe“? Yes it’s a dull grey. Thanks.
 
I don't think Titanus refers to titanium, it is a Roman word and is probably used here as a brand name or a reference to it being strong. Maybe @KayOs can shed light on the K=58 1/2? Or @joglo ?
 
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Bike Forums has the answer. German patent 1880s or 90s, seamless before Reynolds. Used on Italian bikes, may have been manufactured in Italy. Mannesmann may have supplied the raw tubing to Oria, which supplied the Italian bicycle industry. Perhaps later in the 1930s Mannesmann had a factory in Italy. The same markings as on my bike are on an old Italian bike on Bike Forums.
 
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That's all you can contribute.
Bike Forums has the answer. German patent 1880s or 90s, seamless before Reynolds. Used on Italian bikes, may have been manufactured in Italy. Mannesmann may have supplied the raw tubing to Oria, which supplied the Italian bicycle industry. Perhaps later in the 1930s Mannesmann had a factory in Italy. The same markings as on my bike are on an old Italian bike on Bike Forums.
That's all you can contribute.
 
I don't think Titanus refers to titanium, it is a Roman word and is probably used here as a brand name or a reference to it being strong.
I think that’s most likely the case. Like I said, containing titanium would be clutching at straws and pretty unlikely!
 
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