Thread: Not so great first rescale

I've been shopping around antique malls everywhere I go, found quite a few razors, mostly overpriced when they have any sort of embellishment. People look at me like I'm a nut job when I say they have a pretty razor but it has been damaged past the point of me wanting to fix it (cracks, chips etc.) even though it may have some engraved scales and gold etch.

Anyway I originally found 3 Wostenholm Pipe razors. I wanted some scales for them as theirs were shot, so i asked my fiance's father if he'd help me. Went to Midwest Wookworkers and bought 3' x 6" x 1/8" piece of bloodwood, went home to the band saw and cut some really rough blanks. They were squared off and had some odd shapes to them, but i wasn't going for show stopping scales, just wanted a straight i could use. Anyhow got home, rubber cemented the blanks together. 180 grit sandpaper to profile the scales. finished up to 400 grit. Used a pin vice as best as I could to get the pivot and wedge holes straight. All went pretty well for just a set of strictly use scales.

Then i decided to try to do some engraving. Got out my V-Tool i use for carving wood and made a very simple Pipe in the scales......upside down but a Pipe none the less. Rub'N'Buff gold in the recess then sanded the area around it down to remove the excess. Looked alright for a trial piece. But no I wasn't set on the Wostenholm blades. I got a really nice Joseph Rodgers 1/2 hollow (I think that's what it'd be considered) love the size, jimps, barbers notch. Very appealing to me.

Did my best to use an Epoxy Resin finish. Turned out mediocre, started to seperate from the wood at the pins, Dust in the finish, and places where it dripped off the woods edge and left a bare spot.

So an interesting experience. Not a great set of scales but a good starting point.

Things I will change in the future
Better finish
Brass rod pins instead of micro fasteners
Smoother cutting of the etch
Initial shaping more uniform

Here's some pics so you can understand everything i said lol sorry for the long winded post.

Enjoy! (I hope)

Scales in the making














Please feel free to criticize/critique anything you see! I need the feedback as I plan on really persuing this interest and making custom work in the future

Thanks for reading!

Nice classic wood (and color)! The spacer is a nice wedge, so you could try a little thinner but straight wood that, with some tension sits right on the wedge. Since I've seen that on one razor I own, I really love it.

The pipe engraving, well, not my cup of tea.

I have a Wostenholm which is currently my favorite shaver, great edge.

Are you going to do the other razors as well?

Good first go. I'm sure you learnt heaps from that re-scale. Keep it up
G.

Good first attempt,i like that color wood, gj!