With careful reading there is a lot of info in this thread on telling bone from ivory
https://sharprazorpalace.com/worksho...ml#post1214252
I'm in the process of restoring an old G. Johnson I recently acquired. Seller had the scales listed as "plastic or celluloid", but they're obviously not. I suspect they're either bone or ivory, but I don't really have much experience with bone and even less with ivory.
I've researched online and looked through most of the ivory related threads on here and I'm, like, 85% sure they're ivory.
They "tink" on the teeth.
They feel colder than the other scales I have lying around.
They're smooth, dense and fairly heavy.
And for you "hot pin" guys, I did even do that on the inside of a scale in the wedge area. It had absolutely zero effect on the scale (smell or otherwise).
Not entirely sure about the Schreger lines though. There is definitely a grain pattern to them, but it's faint (or maybe my partial colorblindness just isn't doing me any favors here with subtle differences).
Anyway, I figured I'd give some of you a chance to ring in with your opinions. Any help would be appreciated. This blade is likely going to be sold once I'm done restoring it, so I'd like to be as accurate and truthful as possible with the buyer as to what sort of scales they're getting. Plus I'd just like to know!
Also, IF they are ivory, what would you recommend for cleaning them? Specifically the inside of the scales around the pivot area. Of course if they're best left alone, I'm happy to do that too. :-)
Pics below. The darker ones are where I turned the contrast way up for you.
