Thread: smelly scales

I have an old T Hessen-Bruch & Co. razor with black scales (with the standard bear with staff "will bear inspection" imprint). I think the scales are some kind of plastic - seen it referred to as slick black in the ritchie book.

Anyway, when I soaked them in barbicide/water for ten minutes, they didn't warp but got very "tacky" [ie sticky] and have a chemically burnt rubber kind of smell. I reinsed and dried with cloth, but still smalls and still a little tacky. Had a little smell for a while but seems to at least ebb with time, but soaking in barbicide definitley "ehanced" the stink.

Any idea what causes that smell and if I should worry. Scales probably 100 years old or so, so maybe it's some kind of reaction to the chemicals in barbicide?

Anythin I should do like coat the scales in epoxy?

Sounds like a hard rubber scale, not that uncommon. Might want to find a different cleaner/disinfectant so you wont have that chemical reaction.

i would try cleaning he scales with maas and see if that gets rid of the feeling... and maybe some of the smell... if the blade is not showing any damage i would keep it separate from you other razors for a good ling while and see if the scales continue to deteriorate... hopefully a good solid cleaning and avoidance of barbercide will clear it up.

After sanding some scratches out of my 116 year old Columbia Exposition Sword & Crown souvenir razor, it emitted a foul burnt rubber smell. I found that a couple of coats of Turtle Wax greatly reduced the malodor.

Originally Posted by shuredgefan

After sanding some scratches out of my 116 year old Columbia Exposition Sword & Crown souvenir razor, it emitted a foul burnt rubber smell. I found that a couple of coats of Turtle Wax greatly reduced the malodor.

were you sanding the scales or the blade in that case? ie was the malodor from the scales? Interesting idea.

Originally Posted by loueedacat

were you sanding the scales or the blade in that case? ie was the malodor from the scales? Interesting idea.

The odor was definitely from sanding the scales.

I think they called those scales elbonite or something like that. They were rubber but not the refined kind we have today and they are pretty much fragile though not nearly like celluloid but you do need to use gentle materials to clean it. Some mild soap and water is all I would use.

Originally Posted by shuredgefan

After sanding some scratches out of my 116 year old Columbia Exposition Sword & Crown souvenir razor, it emitted a foul burnt rubber smell. I found that a couple of coats of Turtle Wax greatly reduced the malodor.

Not having any turtle wax on hand, I rubbed some ballistol (an all purpose oil) and that worked nicely. Most if not all the smell is gone (or masked).

Been there and done that. Barbercide and straight scales, noooooo . Soap and water to clean the scales. I have used a small ultrasonic cleaner with success using straight water and sometines just a few drops of dish soap. Maas or a plastic polish made for car headlight lenses works really good. If the scales are horn or bone Neets Foot Oil works real good but just apply a little at a tiime. I rubbed the Neets on the 'rubber' scales and polished them with the plastic polish and the sticky surgace went away. If you really want to use the barbercide just put the blade in and hang the str8 over the edge with the scales on the outside. Seems like I make a similar comment here on SRP not too long ago. Good luck.

p.s. Barbercide will also remove gold wash so don't put any blades in that have any plating. Not sure what would happen to painted blades.

Originally Posted by Joed

Been there and done that. Barbercide and straight scales, noooooo . Soap and water to clean the scales. I have used a small ultrasonic cleaner with success using straight water and sometines just a few drops of dish soap. Maas or a plastic polish made for car headlight lenses works really good. If the scales are horn or bone Neets Foot Oil works real good but just apply a little at a tiime. I rubbed the Neets on the 'rubber' scales and polished them with the plastic polish and the sticky surgace went away. If you really want to use the barbercide just put the blade in and hang the str8 over the edge with the scales on the outside. Seems like I make a similar comment here on SRP not too long ago. Good luck.

p.s. Barbercide will also remove gold wash so don't put any blades in that have any plating. Not sure what would happen to painted blades.

Now you tell me! I was wondering why a little piece of the red paint on my little red twin guys came off my new henckels twinworks blade!