Thread: Joseph Allen leather scale care?

How about trying Renaissance wax? Helps to preserve just anything.

I'd also take the scales off and do a good cleaning and maybe some light buffing.

Are you sure they're not horn or gutta percha?

I'm pretty sure they're leather. They're definitely not horn, wood or any kind of plastic. I've been sniffing then flexing them and looking at them through a loupe. As best I can figure they're hard leather.

Happily using a Pitchford in leather scales from Texas currently and while I haven't used anything on the scales, pure neetsfoot is all I would use, when the time came.
Not to soak, as it would soften the hide too much I think as well.
But applied with a rag would certainly freshen up and close the pores in the edges I reckon.
Nice razor, BTW. Love Non XLL's. Never seen one in original leather before. Look after it.


note: pure neetsfoot is not the same as the neetsfoot formula available most places. Read the label, many have silicone and other additives. Pure neetsfoot is available from finer leather supply houses like Tandy.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Happily using a Pitchford in leather scales from Texas currently and while I haven't used anything on the scales, pure neetsfoot is all I would use, when the time came.
Not to soak, as it would soften the hide too much I think as well.
But applied with a rag would certainly freshen up and close the pores in the edges I reckon.
Nice razor, BTW. Love Non XLL's. Never seen one in original leather before. Look after it.


note: pure neetsfoot is not the same as the neetsfoot formula available most places. Read the label, many have silicone and other additives. Pure neetsfoot is available from finer leather supply houses like Tandy.

All I have done to those on the Pitchford is Renwax, Mike. Seemed to work fine.

Maybe you can try beeswax, at least it will help to repel water. I know that it used as one of the ingredients in the oil for brooks leather saddles. Unfortunately I don't remember exact name, maybe you have something similar.

I've never seen leather scales before, but I wondered if it was possible. (I may have a new project to try.) I have done a lot with leatherworking.

If vegetable tanned leather is boiled to the point where it is cooked, it will change into a hard wood like consistency when it dries. I changes the fibers within the leather, and can't fully be changed back. If it is pressed into a form while wet, and allowed to dry that way it will take the shape permanently. Armor was made this way in the middle ages for those that couldn't afford metal armor. I've never seen leather scales before, but I would do a couple of light coats of pure neetsfoot (neet is an Old English word for beef, and neetsfoot oil is made by rendering the hooves and other parts of cattle down) oil would help with the drying out.

Bee's wax would help with the waterproofing. On armor, I have seen small pieces dipped in liquid wax, but I think that would be difficult to heat up. I would rub the outside of the scale with bee's wax and then buff or burnish it with a piece of canvas or denim to get wax back on the scales.

Originally Posted by Willisf

How about trying Renaissance wax? Helps to preserve just anything.

I'd also take the scales off and do a good cleaning and maybe some light buffing.

I'm considering the Renaissance wax but I'd like to get some oil into them first. I'm not sure if they'll ever take much oil as they may have been hardened with wax. However they were originally treated they've lasted quite well. When I originally cleaned the razor up I gave them a quick go with some rouge(thinking they were wood) without much of a result.