Example of an initial stamp.
An initial stamp is a small instrument, usually with a wooden handle, which has a single (decorative) initial carved into it. The inscribed end of the stamp is covered with a washable ink (usually in black or dark blue) and pressed on a textile or garment in order to mark it. Often the printed design is then embroidered.
Older stamps tend to be completely made of wood or metal, but by the beginning of the twentieth century, the initial section was often made from moulded rubber and glued to the wooden handle.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 22 June 2016).
GVE
