Thread: My first attempts

Hi all,
After looking at the amazing work on this thread, I'm kinda hesitant in posting my first attempts at new scales, but here goes.

My first new scales are on a Joseph Rodgers & Sons wedge. A blade that I really like and wanted scales that kinda matched the "brutishness" of this blade.
Scales are Jarrah, a hard wood from Western Australia, on the Janka hardness scale it sits just above Purpleheart. Very forgiving for a novice like me. Brass lined with Dovo pins. Spacer is from Silky Oak, another native Australian timber, more on that though in another post. As you can see there is room for improvement in the "squarness" of the spacer end, funny what those close up shots show.
Lessons learned from my first attempt; when using wood place a washer under the domed washer as it will dig into the wood as you peen it, makes it hard to get it tight. And make the arch of the scales a bit more pronounced at the tang end so that your finger can fit in the tang completly. Next post on this thread is my second attempt of re-scalling.

Hi again,
I'm a bit happier with my second attempt at re-scalling.
This razor is a George Ibberson & Co "Violin". Very nice razor when I got it and basically needed no restoration work, but the scales were already broken at the tang end so no guilt in the new scales. I have used Silky Oak for these scales, a classic Australian cabinet making timber. If my picture were better you could see why. The timber has a sheen or silkyness to it, when you move it in the light it almost acts like that "pearl" paint on cars. Spacer is from brushed aluminium, which I'd like comments on, really like shinny metal and I think brushed aluminium is up there with the best. Could be a bit bold though. Does not seem to effect the balance too much. I went with the aluminium as it just happened to be 3mm, which was just what I needed to get the blade to sit flush in the scales. Sacles are brass lined and Dovo pins are used. I can peen my own pins, just whent with these in this and my first re-scale as, 1) I had them and 2) I thought they went well with the timber.

Congrats on your first... & second Silky oak is a favourite of mine. You can really bring out some gold tones with a wash coat of orange shellac.
Your spacers/wedges are a bit chunky & allow the second blade to sit too deep but a great start overall.

Wow, very nice....

Way better than MY first and second attempts for sure.
Do what I did. Take your first restore and put it away. Come back and look at it after you do about 10 more. You'll love it!

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Congrats on your first... & second Silky oak is a favourite of mine. You can really bring out some gold tones with a wash coat of orange shellac.
Your spacers/wedges are a bit chunky & allow the second blade to sit too deep but a great start overall.

Thanks onimarus55, I'll remember that orange shellac. I should have mentioned a third lession learnt, not have the blade sit so low. I did actually intend that result, so I was chuffed when the blade sat exactly where I wanted it to. Just didn't think how hard it would be to extract the blade when I want to use it, or at the moment hone it.

Nice work! I like both!