Thread: Celluloid ?

Hi guys , can anyone tell me how to tell if scales are true celluloid and not some other type of plastic ? I've also read that celluloid can become unstable and release a corrosive gas . Are there any dos and donts regarding the care and cleaning ?

Most old razors that have celluloid handles are probably 'bakelite' instead being true celluloid. Celluloid's been around for about 150 years, and I just don't think scales made out of the material would hold up for very long at all, unless someone kept the razor under a blanket of Nitrogen. Old celluloid is very brittle and crumbles quite easily, but I don't think there's an easy way to tell the difference between bakelite/plastic and celluloid.

There is supposed to be some sort of rub 'n sniff trick to tell the difference. Check the help files.

As far as preserving celluloid, I think the main thing is to keep them out of direct sunlight, and if you have celluloid-scaled razors, check on them every once in a while, and consider storing them separately from other razors. When they do decompose the effect on steel is devastating as well as "contagious." Go on ebay and look at the photos for any large "straight razor lot" – when fifty razors or so are laid out together you'll see sections within the lot decomposing together like so many lepers.

There is actually two kinds of celluliod. The really old stuff from the 1800s is really unstable while the newer stuff is much more stable. The best way to tell real celluloid is by the smell. If you rub it it will give off a very characteristic smell almost like vinnegar. Most celluloid should be kept cool and dark and it will be ok. If its kept in the presence of deteriorating celluloid on another item it will cause other celluloid to decompose too. Most scales from before WWll were celluloid. After that period plastic was increasingly used though celluloid was used into the 1950s. There are things you can do with celluloid you just can't easily do with plastic as far as decoration goes.

As far a care goes just warm water and very mild soap. Thats it.

Thank you , guys .

Here is an article in the Library on identifying different types of scale materials (it's actually written for identifying mah-jong tiles, but it's certainly applicable to razor scales)

ID_PLASTIC_IVORY_BONES_MORE

-whatever

-Lou

Thanks scarface !

I'm here to serve.



-whatever

-Lou