Opinion- what to do about scales...

So I want people's opinion here-

Would you or would you not change the scales in this case...

Rare razor. Scales are kind of part of the design- not shape or anything, but pattern. They are also cheap thin plastic/celluloid or whatever but in a rare pattern I suppose. Now the razor is very valuable as eBay (and what I gave in return for it outside of eBay) have dictated. It is currently all original which I believe makes it that valuable. In a way.

The problem is those thin cheap scales are all warped. Because of this I can't tighten the pins too much or the razor will surely close way into the scales when shut (they currently veer that way). So the razor is looser than I would want in the scales. I have now honed the razor so it is ultra sharp, however, I need to use great caution when both opening and closing it so as not to hit the scales. I don't plan on selling the razor any time soon IF ever! What would you do if you were me?

-keep all original and try to retain value (leaving the scales all warped)
-remove scales and try to unwarp them (chance of failure- i.e. ruining them)
-change scales to something custom in the same vein as the originals
-change the scales to something very exotic and valuable

I'm really torn here. Help a brother out.

Dear Philadelph,

While I am sympathetic to your dilemma, it would seem that your question cannot cannot be satifactorily answered as you are no longer doing restorations. This appears to be a restorative enterprise and therefore is a moot issue.

Sorry, I'd like to be able to provide better counsel.

:w

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Originally Posted by Bruce

While I am sympathetic to your dilemma, it would seem that your question cannot cannot be satifactorily answered as you are no longer doing restorations. This appears to be a restorative enterprise and therefore is a moot issue.

Sorry, I'd like to be able to provide better counsel.

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It's my own razor!!! lol I can restore my own even if I'm not doing other people's!!!

It's ok Bruce, I'll just put you at the bottom of the list for when I have any customs available... :w

It sounds like you intend to shave with this razor. In that case, I'd replace the scales with something as close to the originals as I could manufacture (and having seen your work, I'm sure you could do a great job of that).

I'd rather risk losing the scales, than nicking or chipping the blade.

Keep the originals as a reference. Who knows - the way you are perfecting your hobby, your replacements may make the razor even more valuable one day!

PS: Does this move me to the top of the customs list? ;) :D

The main factor here is that you've stated that the probability that you'll sell this razor is nil or close to nil. If you really never change your mind on that and you're firm on keeping it for SHAVING and for yourself, then other than providing YOU pleasure from looking at it's original aesthetics, why wouldn't you rescale it to avoid any future damage to the blade?:shrug:

Either you love the original look of this razor and would be less satisfied personally if you rescales, or part of you DOES want to retain its value at the highest possible level for a future sale.

If you rescaled and retain the original scales, at worst, in the future you could always repin it and sell it on Ebay. There's at least one very well known well paid Ebay razor seller that repins at least some (I would assume probably most) of his razors but does NOT disclose that in his listings giving IMO, the impression that his razors are original when they're not. Given your experience now, Alex, I would find a listing from you stating that a razor was professionally repinned as accurate and probably would not decrease the value dramatically if you repinned very well.

Chris L

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Originally Posted by Chris L

The main factor here is that you've stated that the probability that you'll sell this razor is nil or close to nil. If you really never change your mind on that and you're firm on keeping it for SHAVING and for yourself, then other than providing YOU pleasure from looking at it's original aesthetics, why wouldn't you rescale it to avoid any future damage to the blade?:shrug:

Either you love the original look of this razor and would be less satisfied personally if you rescales, or part of you DOES want to retain its value at the highest possible level for a future sale.

If you rescaled and retain the original scales, at worst, in the future you could always repin it and sell it on Ebay. There's at least one very well known well paid Ebay razor seller that repins at least some (I would assume probably most) of his razors but does NOT disclose that in his listings giving IMO, the impression that his razors are original when they're not. Given your experience now, Alex, I would find a listing from you stating that a razor was professionally repinned as accurate and probably would not decrease the value dramatically if you repinned very well.

Chris L

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Agreed.

You have to determine what your original motivation(s) was for owning this razor. From there, you should be able to figue out the course of action to take.

I voted to leave as is but we don't know what the razor is. :) If you were to post a photo I might have voted to remove and try to straighten the scales. How much difference would there be in value between original and custom scales if you were unable to straighten them ? I bet it is a Reaper :D

with your skills at making custom scales why dont you try to keep the same size and shape in linen micarta, that syuff looks fantastic, i remember one customer had you make a set out of it and he wanted to retain the original look you could do the same for yours too

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Originally Posted by JimmyH-AD

I voted to leave as is but we don't know what the razor is. :) If you were to post a photo...

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Well Jimmy, it is one very close to you! I in fact got this razor from Jimmy in a big trade lol. The scales on these Case draw cuts were always striped like this with a matching tang as far as I've seen. It just worries me to shave with/hold such a nice razor with scales warped to the point where it doesn't really STAY closed if turned over, etc. One scaling option that might take some work is to use the material as seen in the second razor and taper it off in a fashion to duplicate lines. I don't know if I could pull it off or not, I'd have to try. Other than that, I was thinking about that Paua :D but don't know how it would look with the tang covered in stripes. Anyway, I do value Jimmy's opinion since it came from his hands. You may or may not be able to tell from my poor pics, but the scales on this razor in question are not in the best condition that I have seen on these razors. Part of my whole thing with razors is that I prefer durability and stability as I use all razors that I own/restore/make/keep that are in shape enough to do so.

Alex...I say, get rid of the lousy original scales and go all out!!!!!!

I would leave it as is and open and close it with care. IMO the value as a collectible would be compromised no matter how beautiful the scales might be that replaced the originals. Many collectors of Case Bros razors do not shave with straight razors and the utility of the razor wouldn't be an issue for them but the replaced scales would.

OTOH, thinking of my Puma with Kayser Ellison steel blade on which you fitted the beautiful micarta scales. I would never sell it and leaving it with the original scales made it useless as a shaver so being able to use it was more important to me then leaving it as it was.

Then again my Puma isn't the collector's item that the Case Bros is. The Springville, NY factory was only operational for a short time and it is more desirable to collectors then the Case Bros Little Valley razors. I would think long and hard before I took those off of it. :shrug: I honed, stropped, and shaved with that and though the scales are not as tight as we might like the razor is usable as is.

Alex, You know my answer here.....
I might just might, try to straighten them, if I was on a roll with restores, and was really feeeling lucky, you know the feeling Alex, when every razor you have been working on, is basically building itself on the bench.....

This is a "no brainer!":

If I were as good as you are in regard to doing custom scales, I would remove the ones that are presently on the razor and custom build new scales - that would be beautiful, yet, an exotic appearance of the original scales. Of course, your interpretation of this representative of the original would be your creation, and I suspect it would be great, and totally original in it's self! - kind of ironic, because it would be fashioned after the original, making it incredibly unique!!!

Sounds exciting!

Regards,

Steve

I would make some spacers to fit between the scales to set the proper distance and heat the scales with a hot hair dryer using caution not to burn the scales. This may release the stress that is causing the warp and maintain the proper distance as the scales cool. I have has success with this method on several ebay finds. Good luck in what ever direction you take.

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Originally Posted by Joed

I would make some spacers to fit between the scales to set the proper distance and heat the scales with a hot hair dryer using caution not to burn the scales. This may release the stress that is causing the warp and maintain the proper distance as the scales cool. I have has success with this method on several ebay finds. Good luck in what ever direction you take.

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+1, I would try this first.

Philadelph,

I'm going to try the heat and wedge trick on a Puma that has some ugly warped scales to see if that approach may work. The plain black original scales rub the blade on one side, so if it doesn't work I have lost not much as I need to rescale to make the razor usable. The scales on your razor are nifty enough so that I think you ought to try what you can to reclaim them.

(and then, just for grins and giggles, you can keep your hand in the restoration business :nj)

My thinking is, if your gonna shave with this, then make it the most beautiful, comfortable razor you can. Make new scales that represent perfection to you. If you ever decide to sell it, it won't have as much collector value anyway after you've used it. And the he new owner probably intends to shave with it anyway.

Make it beautiful and send us pics!!!

I know this one has been dead for a while, but I wanted to post this. I decided to leave the razor as-is despite the opposite thinking of this poll. For the time being at least. Then today I decided to see what I would be able to do in terms of recreating these scales close to the originals. So I make a set (NOT FINISHED OR POLISHED MIND YOU) just to see what it would be like. Surprisingly they turned out pretty well so far and I am again tempted to do something about it lol. Any thoughts? Regardless of what razor these scales go on, what kind of spacer would you give it? Something plain along the lines of the originals (I would probably use the same material for these scales which would keep it striped along the bottom) or something bright and different? Attention getting if you will. NOT saying I'm taking off the originals!

P.S. Sorry the photo colors are off. They were taken quickly.

They look great Alex as your scales always do. I think that I should send this one to you and "we" ought to put them on it. :D
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...t2/redevil.jpg