Wait no longer.... LOL
Attachment 200184
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Wait no longer.... LOL
Attachment 200184
Ask and ye shall receive.
Scales are toast, but those collars are going to be kept. I am thinking bone for the new scales, possibly horn. Need to find someone to do this work, because I am not taking any chances on getting this "right".
Gorgeous stub in the making Orv..:)
Blonde horn would look very nice. The original scales could be used as a template as well.
Glad you made the trek, and the connection by the sounds of things.
Cheers.
Yup . . . me too, particularly with the information I have been getting from Silverloaf. Feel a LOT better about the deal I made. Hope he was not BSing about his Uncle . . . that would be a nice source for folks here to access.
anthony- whenever you want to send it on down to me and collect your 10% finders fee, feel free to do so! :deal:
juuuuust kidding! (kind of)
enjoy that thing, cant wait to see the report of her shaving again! ;)
I've had one or two razors that had damaged scales like that, and Valery repaired them quite nicely, and restored the razor to stunning condition.
Here's one he did, the scales were chipped, very brittle and dry, almost black, and had a few cracks, here was the result when he was done.
Attachment 200205
Phrank . . . if it were just cracks, or if I had the pieces that are missing, I would consider it. But there are minor chinks all along one side of the scales, on the INSIDE believe it or not. I think a new set would be warranted and better looking, especially when the blade is returned to glory.
some would stabilize the whole thing with epoxy or poly resin and then lightly sanded and soak in neatsfoot oil, then finish sanding/polish to whatever degree. thats if you want to keep all original save for the pins themselves. or just carry out that stellar idea for the bone! options at least. some look trashed but can be saved more easy than you'd think
Silverloaf is a razor genius IMO Andrew. You should see his restores on Instagram and ebay, mind blowing!!! And his Customs!!!!! Amazing. We are lucky to have him here on SRP.
Nice find. If you have to replace the scales I would be tempted to keep it looking original which I guess is horn. Seen a few now in honey horn that looked good.
Waiting for a quote on the work.
Will be gone by the end of the week . . . then the wait begins. Wonder which will arrive first . . . the restoration, or my PRC Hydra?
You got a Hydra??? Ahhhhh!! to bad you didn't have that for the meet. I'd have loved to see it!
Some care, technique, and epoxy, in the right hands, would restore that one to glory. JMO
I will try to take a few more pictures before sending it off, but there is significant damage (to me, at any rate). Beyond what is visible in the pics shown, there are pieces missing in small bits along one side of the bottom of the scales. There are a couple reasons why I think replacement is needed . . .
I think the original scales might be tortoise shell, as well, but the damage is, to my untrained eye, too significant to warrant trying to keep patch them up. I understand that keeping the original scales would increase the value of the piece to a collector, but I am not a collector, I am a user.
My particular OCD would likely always be nagging at me with respect to the "damage" as opposed to the repair work. Would always feel like I was using "damaged goods". Not a feeling I like, and would eventually lead to that razor sitting on a shelf, which would be a shame.
I'd keep in mind that exporting/importing things made of ivory and tortoise shell have restrictions under the CITIES convention on international trade. Those things legally require export/import permits. I have no idea about how sticky it is to do without permits but I have a feeling I would not want to find out. Just saying.
Bob
BobH . . . that is also on my mind, but my restorer is in Toronto. The likelihood of Canada Post randomly inspecting a domestic package is not of huge concern. Were I sending it to the States . . . well, as I suspect they are actual tortoise shell, I just would not take that chance.
It does not matter so long as it is within the same province or the rest of the country. Only if you were to export it out of Canada and re import it back. Canada post is not the worry, CBS is. As far as I know the person in the US would also have to have the proper import and export permits from the US government if it went there or any country that is signed onto the CITES convention. You have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to try and sort it all out http://www.ec.gc.ca/Publications/783...eller_v5_e.pdf .
Bob
Well, that is a collectors razor. If you want a 'user', there are lots which I suspect will shave better, JMO.
You may want to consider leaving it alone for a while. Your mind will change as you mature in the game, if you are like most of us. They are only original once.
YMMV
And I understand that philosophy. Truly, I do. But, to me, the point of buying a blade like this is to put it into service, rather than just have it sit on a shelf.
Perhaps you are correct about "maturing in the game", but I am not so sure . . . I think I would be more apt to just turn around and sell it off in that case. But, for me, the excitement is in bringing an old blade back to shave ready standard (or in this case, having a pro do it for me), so that I can experience what the previous owners did more than a century (two?) ago.
I also understand that, to some, putting new scales on this razor will be the ruination of it as a Collector piece. but, as I said, I am not a Collector.
Oh, you're a collector, all right, Orville! No use denying it! ;)
My point is that some cannot see how it could be possible to restore those scales and the razor remain original and completely serviceable. It is, however, possible. JMO
Okay, I will rephrase . . . the ambitions I have for my collection are not as ambitious as some. I want razors to use, razors that have some quality and history, like this one and my Wostie, but also a nice "modern" or two, like my PRC Hydra that I hope to receive this month. Beyond that . . . I certainly do not see myself with dozens and dozens.
And I have already acknowledged the capability of keeping the scales that are on it now . . . but at the same time, knowing they are "repaired" would be an issue for me. It's like what "they" say about cars after an accident . . . they're just "not the same". I have experienced that feeling first hand, and had to put up with for almost 5 years. No thanks . . . and not with something I plan on putting next to my throat. I realize it is somewhat irrational of me, but it is what it is.
Beyond that . . . I certainly do not see myself with dozens and dozens.
I said that once.. hehehe.
Now, I hear my lovely bride saying 'How many more do you need"?
"It's an investment in my retirement hobbies" is my new justification.
And the search continues for those few I have not been able to acquire as yet. Pantera, Filly bigger than a 1/2, Italian blade, and Japanese folder.
As always the thrill of the chase keeps me searching.
At the end of the day, you have your new 'flagship' blade. It deserves the cladding you desire. You will enjoy the shaves better if it's all YOU want it to be mate.
Cheers.
I saw the cabinets in your shaving room. If I ever get that many Straights my wife will start cashing some of that investment in without me. :rofl2:
to me these look like horn dyed to look like tortoise, especially the pic in the middle (post #42). seen too much of the same to think otherwise but i may be very wrong (i say that alot huh?)
Well, I plan on asking for them back, assuming they survive the removal process. Not that I want to do anything with them, but I would like to show them round and find out, simply so that I know what to look out for in the future.
To restore, or not to restore.... In either case, anytime you fill out a customs form, you say ""horn" handled shaving tool" In some places even the word razor is enough to get it confiscated.
having seen some of the works by Undream and Utopian, I see no reason why the original scales can not be made awesome again. In the end, its yours to do with as you please, and if you don't like one set of scales, you can always put on another!
Well, I just heard back from my restorer (Gentleman's Den). He is going to take a hard look at the scales and advise. Says that repair might actually be cheaper than replacing, but we will see what he says. My baby is going in the mail by the end of the week.
Well, in typical Canada Post fashion, it looks like my razor will NOT be delivered as planned, today. Still shows as being in transit, and a delivery date of "8 May, 2015", but I expect that my restorer will find one of those lovely little delivery attempted tags on his mail box when he gets home.
**sigh**
UPDATE . . . hilarity ensues. filed a complaint with Canada Post over my wayward razor shipment, because it STILL has not delivered to Val. I decided today to see what the tracking update said and, lo and behold, it is "Out for delivery".
If I'd have known that, I would have bitched the next day! LOL
At least things are back on track.
Lets just say that certain muscles have unclenched considerably in the last half hour.
Val just confirmed receipt of my baby. Now it's in his hands to work his magic.
Good to hear Val's got it...magic will now happen to that blade. Not only will he bring it back to life, but he will put a sublime edge on the razor.
Great restores take time, and he takes the time necessary to pay attention to all the little details, it's hard to wait, but the final result is always stunning. Looking forward to seeing it!