Thread: Peter J. Michels No.10 Spear

This razor, made in Germany, was imported in 1928 by Peter J. michels in Brooklyn, NY. Does anybody have any idea what the scales might be made of?

The scales would in all likelihood be celluloid. This means you have to watch out for them starting to chemically decompose, producing a corrosive gas which can affect the steel very badly - this is called "cell rot". Vigilance is called for with celluloid scales as they can go bad at any time - obviously age is a factor but I am unsure whether storage conditions play a significant role or not. Others may have more to say.

Thanks. The scales certainly look in good shape, but I will keep an eye on it. It was dispayred unused for years in a bathroom. I have to read more about celluloid.

There seems to be very little scientific work on "cell rot," aka celluloid off gassing , among other names. One source I saw proposed that there was no funding offered for it because the majority of the products affected were collectibles owned by hobbyists. Consequently, the scope, cause, source, effects, even the exact nature of the phenomenon are not well understood and most of the discussion/written material is anecdotal. I suspect that water and airborne humidity play a role, I also wonder if some sort of antigen, possibly a fungus or bacteria plays a role. At least that is all that I have found out. I would love to see some more "research" based information if it is out there.

In any case, I personally figure that keeping the scales dry and away from humidity as much as possible is as much as I can do besides just not letting them sit for long periods without checking the condition.

The Home Page has a thread on Cell Rot

Yeah, I've read that and the links provided and there is a lot of information but I do not see any research sited. I didn't read through every word this time but I've read it before and I didn't see it before either.