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Can we redefine ^ such that, if in math mode, it behaves normally; but, if in text mode, it: (1) enters math mode; (2) does ^ w/ argument; (3) exits math mode?

By the first image, do you mean the one from Loeb, 1914? Do you think there is something wrong with the kerning there too?

What I want is something that (as far as kerning is concerned) might have been hand-set and looks hand-set.

Sure. Not sure what you mean. I haven't checked. But is altering the kerning considered altering the font?

Anthoer ex. is De Vinne:

http://ulrik.uio.no:4107/De%20Vinne.pdf

Take this ex. from the Loeb Classical Library, 1914.

What do you not like; the interword spacing?

Many (good) typesetters actually removed parts of the metal block and hand-fitted it to another.

Do you mean that they had, say, may kinds of f for different combinations?

I used Fontforge to remove all specific kerning pairs from Adobe Caslon Pro, adjusted the general borders, and added three ...

Thanks again. I don't know what the traditional practice is, but the distinction is made in The Oxford Guide to Style.

Thank you. As I suspected this requires one to know beforehand where the pagebreaks are going to be. Besides, there is a difference between 7, 8 and 7 sq.; the former indicates two separate metions, the latter one continuous. Similarly with larger ranges, e.g. 7--9 ≠ 7, 8, 9.

Thank you for your answers. I didn't realize that there was special kerning even in mechanical typesetting. Would there be anything smaller than 1 pt (= 1 hair space)? My assumption was that computer typesetting allows for and uses more fine-grained kerning, and that turning it off would yield a ...

I don't want all glyphs to have the same width, but rather each glyph to have one width regardless of the glyphs surrounding it …