Thread: Horn scales or plastic? Help

Ok. I bought a sprock 5/8 round point off ebay and assumed they were some sort of plastic scales until.......I went to clean them up and I was going to sand them a bit and they stunk like burnt hair! I researched it here and everything points to horn but.....nothing else about them says horn. They are very flexible and I can't see any "grain" in them at all. So.....I did the hot pin test and they seemed to resist melting and once again the burnt hair smell. Everything I can see says plastic but everything I smell says horn.

I would pay the postage (in CONUS) to send to someone who could confirm or deny with certainty horn or not. Anyone confident enough to do this (and willing) please send me a PM and I'll mail to you. Everyone else I would very much appreciate your comments and experience. Thanks in advance.

A picture would definitely help. If you're getting the burnt hair smell with all those test then it is most likely horn.

All I have is a cell camera (iphone 5) good but not great and then factor in I know squat about photography and you have my best attempts below.

In the one pic it does appear as though there may be some grain that shows it's horn. If they were old bakelite then they'd give an almost vinegar like smell when sanded and plastic would smell like, well...plastic.

Highly polished horn looks identical to plastic so its possible its horn

Originally Posted by DennisBarberShop

Highly polished horn looks identical to plastic so its possible its horn

When I was sanding it it turned a sort of light brown/green until I polished it with MAAS. Then it went shiny black again. Is this typical of horn, plastic, or celluloid?

Horn always sands off and looks like fluffy dandruff and is white no matter the color of the horn and has kind of a unique smell, hold It up to a lightbulb and see If you can see a grain as well.

Hmm tricky one here - first and third pics look potentially like Bakelite but it can be hard to tell from photos!

I think the easiest test is a quick scrub with toothbrush in warm water. The old Bakelite formaldehyde smell is sharp and awful. Horn doesn't really smell much at all, or if it does is musky.

Otherwise, as above. Hot pin must be really hot. Sanding horn gives very white powder, not much scratching. Bakelite feels more scratchy with no 'dandruff'. I've found some Bakelite comes up pretty green in colour when sanded, whereas stained horn may fade but doesn't go green.

Good luck, let us know your findings.

Possibly Ebonite Scales?

Looks like horn, just very well polished. I've found that some horn scales can be very flexible.