Thread: Celluloid Rot?

Hi

I think I've just been stitched?

Bought this Case Temperite off fleabay
This is a pic of how it was originally
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Looked really nice, even when it arrived.

Excessive dirt in the scales, so put it in a sonic jewelery cleaner for 3 mins with just hand warm water and it came out covered in rust and I have seen some pics of Celluloid rot, and I may be wrong but it looks similar to me!

This is how it is now
Pic1
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Pic2
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any advice on this one?
Why has it gone like this?
Was it some clever cover up job?

thanks for looking!

To be honest from the photos I can't tell what you are talking about. Anytime I have had grungy celluloid scales I have always soaked the scales in Scrubbing Bubbles and scrubbed with a toothbrush and a Q-Tip without removing the blade. I have yet to find one that didn't clean up although sometimes the scales had some stains.

I have had to get rid of 3 sets of scales with celluloid rot. I would clean and polish the blade, then the next day or the day after there would be rust along where the scales lay next to the blade. There was also a strange odor. I immediately removed and discarded the scales, cleaned and saved the blades. No further rust appeared. Celluloid rot is contagious, so if you are not sure, quarantine that razor in a separate container from any other celluloid scaled razors, until you are sure. Hope it is not the case!

The marks look like finger marks to me - patterned staining like that is usually associated with patterned celluloid scales, yours are clear. What a shame - it looked lovely before you 'cleaned' it! Now the blade needs buffing again. If it was shave-ready, it will also need honing after buffing.

Regards,
Neil.

I have cleaned all my 2nd hand razors in the same way and this has never happened before.

how can I confirm if it is rot or not?

should I just buff the blade again and see if it returns?

The smell released by the out-gassing of the scales is usually the biggest giveaway (apart from the rusty blade!) - vinegary, usually a lot of crazing and/or frosting in the surface of the scales (not always apparent). The rate of breakdown in the celluloid depends on the fillers that were used, UV light exposure and a few other factors. Darker handles = more filler = less breakdown due to the masking effect.

What I find peculiar is that the razor must have been photographed by the seller before listing it, the listing was live for some time, and the razor spent some time in the post - all without developing the appearance that 3 mins in your cleaning tank has produced.

Keep it away from the rest of your collection - quarantine it! - it is contagious and will spread to other celluloid scales.

More info here.

Regards,
Neil

I posted this on a similar thread recently, & it seems useful again here.
This is Bill Ellis' info on celluloid rot.
Bill's Straight Razor Info: Celluloid Rot
It doesn't look the same as the rust on your blade. He mentions that it's usually the darker scales that suffer. Wrong way round, as Neil pointed out.It's the lighter ones!I've found before that a freshly sanded blade can sometimes attract rust similar to that. Maybe it's due to microscopic metal slurry still present. Try cleaning it up with an oil after you have had another go.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

I posted this on a similar thread recently, & it seems useful again here.
This is Bill Ellis' info on celluloid rot.
Bill's Straight Razor Info: Celluloid Rot
It doesn't look the same as the rust on your blade. He mentions that it's usually the darker scales that suffer.
I've found before that a freshly sanded blade can sometimes attract rust similar to that. Maybe it's due to microscopic metal slurry still present. Try cleaning it up with an oil after you have had another go.

This is actually what he says Ben:

"...I have noticed a couple of things. Black scales don't seem to ever get celluloid rot, and the ones that get it the most are the semi-transparent amber and orange colors..."

in other words the dark scales suffer less, if at all.

Regards,
Neil

Ha! I didn't re-read it & that's how i remembered it. Completely the wrong way round. I can see how that might be a little misleading.
Cheers Neil

I'm a newb but to me the later pics the blade looks tarnished, are you wiping the blade dry consistently or taking it out of the bathroom during hot showers so condensation doesn't form? If your doing all that, then it could be some rot of some sort as the celluiod looks a little discolored. It's oxidizing if I'm right, basically hence the yellowing is from the acid produced during that process. Correct me if I'm wrong guys.

Curiously Arcylic does the same thing if its not pure Acrylite basically has to be high end acrylic.

I know when I work with Acrylic for my aquairums its integral to have good high quality acrylic as its exposed to salt water constantly.

sorry to trail off.

cheers
D