Thread: What are these scales made out of?

I was sure they were plastic/celluloid when I bought this razor to restore. However, after cleaning it up, it stinks like horn. On an aside...I really hate the smell of horn in the morning.... : \ And celluloid too, while I'm at it. Had to sand down a wedge to get a blade to fit and now I have to vaccum up the stuff off my carpet now. I'm not sure which is stinkier, the celluloid or the horn....

They look more like Celluloid to me in the pic, But I tried the scratch-n-sniff option on the picture and it wasn't working

Sometime Celluloid scales will get a "patina" for lack of a better word that when sanded or rubbed will have a rather odd smell to it, very uncharacteristic of the normal camphor smell they should give off...
If you start at 800 grit wet-r-dry sandpaper and work your way to 2000 wet sanding and cleaning them, you will usually get rid of that stuff...
I will say I normally don't find it on colored scales but hey we learn new things all the time on here....

Hmm, that explains the really really odd funk I get when I wash some really old celluloid scales. Good to know!

But, alas, I know that stink too; and its not it. : \ I completely agree with you, they look like celluloid in person as well! However, they stink like horn. Open and close action feels like horn, and makes that area stink like horn... Cann you tell I hate that smell? I'd say feels like horn, but I can't tell the difference by touch. Could it be dyed horn?

Pic of the other side. Its really not as vibrant as in the picture. Looks like a wood in real life if not plastic.

I guess you could try a hot pin test on the inside of one to know for sure, but be careful if you light off Celluloid it burns fast....

I have seen that scale style before, mostly on East Coast American razors, and they were Celluliod... But with out having them in my hands I would never say one way or the other for sure...

PS: what brand of razor is it I can't see the stamp in the pic????

I'm guessing on this one since the smell doesn't travel through the monitor, but judging from that sort of matt sheen on the surface of the scales I would venture the opinion that they are made from a hard rubber mixture. That was once very popular for pens, combs, and so forth. True enough, hard rubber has a bit of a smell, but is pretty much great stuff where a moisture unfriendly atmosphere abounds (like in a bathroom). As I am no chemist I cannot say if the hard rubber mixture(s) also gave off gases that would be detrimental to the steel of a razor in the same way that old celluloid mixtures sometimes do. I have one old razor with green hard rubber scales and they, too, stink a bit if one takes the nose right up close.

Maybe Bakealie? That can smell quite unpleasant.

Do either the hard rubber or bakelite smell reminiscent of horn?

No stamp, wish it did, at least that would end some speculation. : P

well if it smells like horn and flakes like horn i say it's more than likely horn.
and yeah they use to die this thing, although the died ones i've had look very different.

if you hate it so much i'll be happy to have it
i guess i can trade you another razor in celluloid for it since i don't really have many wood ones and i am rather attached to my ivory

or just don't breathe while shaving - it will certainly make for better better precision cutting them whiskers...

Originally Posted by gugi

well if it smells like horn and flakes like horn i say it's more than likely horn.
and yeah they use to die this thing, although the died ones i've had look very different.

if you hate it so much i'll be happy to have it
i guess i can trade you another razor in celluloid for it since i don't really have many wood ones and i am rather attached to my ivory

or just don't breathe while shaving - it will certainly make for better better precision cutting them whiskers...

Hehe, horn scales only stink when I clean them up, or when I open my Columbia razor and stick my nose to it. However, I'll probably be selling this razor.

But it only smells similar to horn. Sure doesn't look like horn.

Originally Posted by Leighton

Do either the hard rubber or bakelite smell reminiscent of horn?

No stamp, wish it did, at least that would end some speculation. : P

Bakealite doesnt really smell like horn, it has a bad smell all of its own, worse than horn Id say, particularly if you power sand it. The fumes from many of these old plastics are quite toxic when heated or in dust form by the way.