Ok, time for one of the most prevalent of Ebay "gotcha" problems. CELL ROT In case you are new and dont know, the handles on some straight razors (scales) were often made with a nifty early form of plastic known as celluloid. Same sort of stuff that they made old movie films from. The big problem with it is, it breaks down and degrades. Often with disastrous results. Sometimes it simply shrinks, some times it turns "chalky" or waxy and brittle (very brittle!) and some times it starts off gassing a corrosive fume that can eat a razor to dust in short order. I will post 3 or 4 easy to see examples over the next few days, so you can get an idea of what it is you are actually looking at on the bay. (or garage sale, antique shop)
First up, currently on the bay right now. Its a suffering duckatash! ( I just wanted to say that)
the 4 most frequent culprits for cell rot are Clear scales, Green scales, "Pearl" scales, and the Fux tortoiseshell scales
But this one is something else you might not have thought about. its THE WEDGE! The wedge itself has gone to meet its maker, and its taking the scales and the tip of the blade with it. I have 2 razors like this myself on the bench at this very moment. Thankfully for me, the scales on them are Bakelite and Vulcanite, so they have held together well, and I will only need to replace the wedge and clean up the tips. The seller here is very honest, and provides clear photos that show the problem. This blade is a good candidate for a rescue even if it ends up needing the tip removed.
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