Thread: REAL tortoise shell or imitation?

I'm now second guessing myself. I did a smoke test again, even had my wife verify that the smell was different than plastic scales. I looked through the light and see numbers in each side, I've taken pictures of both sides. I really don't know what to think now. Best to pull the plug on the auction until I'm 110% one way or the other.

Well... what those numbers mean? I have no idea. Can anyone explain this to me pls. Thx

Originally Posted by justacat

Well... what those numbers mean? I have no idea. Can anyone explain this to me pls. Thx

To me, it just adds doubt, more doubt than anything else.

Forgive me for my opinion, however i do not believe this is shell. I have owned a shell razor before and it did not resemble this. It was more like horn. If you zoom in to the extent that you have done, the fibres which are like strands of tightly packed hair should be visible.

In my experience, shell razors are often Sheffield, not German. That does not mean to say they are exclusive to Sheffield, just I havent yet seen a German made one - and judging by looks, most shell razors I have seen are a little older than this one, many of them being made prior to the evolution of celluloids.

As with ivory, the hot pin test can be used to determine or certaintly deduce what a material may be.

I have read from ivory experts that the test can be inaccurate, as the hot pin must be red hot and touched to the material immediately. If not, the results can be skewed with false impressions/conclusions.

I've gone ahead and cancelled the auction. I've always been 100% honest in my listings and refuse to sell something under possible false pretenses.

I want to say that I sincerely appreciate the doubts raised by the members here

Why are you selling it anyway, looks like a good shaver

Originally Posted by Scipio

Why are you selling it anyway, looks like a good shaver

I've just got too many, impossible to shave with them all.

I know the feeling. I should get ebaying myself...

Originally Posted by Scipio

I know the feeling. I should get ebaying myself...

Yea, I ended up keeping it for almost another year, love it but put it back up, this time as imitation

Originally Posted by justacat

Well... what those numbers mean? I have no idea. Can anyone explain this to me pls. Thx

Numbers like those pictured, and in some cases longer are usually manufacturing process references. It could be the mold used to cast the scale, a specific type of process, an inspection station, a specific person in the manufacturing or something along those lines. Here I would guess that it refers to a mold used to cast the scale but the low numbers has me wondering.

Back to the material, With the metal on the scales I really doubt they are tortoise, hard to tell by the pics but if the metal is inlay (flush with the top surface of the scales) I doubt tortoise even more.