Thread: Craftsman straight razors?

Yes, most all Vintage Cracked ice and faux Tortoise can and will break down. Most vintage cracked ice, look very similar, as do tortoise, so the formulas were very similar or they all bought from the same vendor. It has to do with the formulation, white scales are also prone to off gassing, as are translucent and almost never black.

I don’t think anyone really knows, the exact cause, and more importantly, we don’t know the history, of how a vintage razor, has been stored over its lifetime. What, we do know is, light exposure, heat and moisture are causes for Celluloid to kick off, the start of the chemical reaction. Once it starts, there is no cure. I have seen a single razor infect an entire case of razors and knives.

The exact condition most vintage razors have been stored in an Antique store condition or stored in an attic, heat, moisture and lack of ventilation.

If your razor does not show signs of off gassing, shrinkage, (wedge larger than the scale) warping, (one scale shorter) closing off center, smell of burnt eggs, or chemical smell, thin red rust or black oxidation on the blade, or patterned rusting/ blacking on the blade, then you are probably ok. But, watch your storage, keep out of direct sunlight and moisture.

If it starts or you suspect cell rot, segregate it or get the scales off quick. There are no, exact match Cracked Ice scale material, Mascraft does have some very good Tortoise, it is Polyester and is a bit more flexible than Acrylic, but it does look good.