Thread: Custom Scales For Commercial/Refurbished Blade?

It might be just that we don't have master woodcarvers here yet. I think mackie has recently carved a few scales on synthetics, check his threads. Shutterbug produces some top-rate fancy scales too, but on silver.

When you get it done, get a nice big blade, find out and write down to yourself what you would like in terms of shape, design, performance, materials etc. After that, get a hold of a razor restorer and carver and introduce your design to them and get them to collaborate with you and each other to have it made. There's probably tons of stuff that just won't be viable from either standpoint, so you all need to work together.

To the general conversation, there's few points I'd like to make:
-Master engarvers probably feel the scales limiting, since there isn't very much area on a razor scale.
-tiny, delicate designs on a piece which must stand considerable and continuous mechanical and environmental stress. Nuff said.
-Skrimshaw would be mechanically more stable and easier to protect
-effort vs profit

Scales are thin and would take a bit of a touch to carve anything in them.

I kind-of figured this would be a huge consideration... Plus, I suppose the proposed wood carver might not consider things like balance and handle-ability -- things that an expert razor craftsman would consider to be of paramount concern.

For the time being, I'm just trying to get a feel for what's possible and what's available out there, and I sincerely appreciate everyone's input.

To be a bit more specific, I'm looking for something in a lighter-colored wood (or old piano ivory, thanks for the rec!) and the carving would have an olde-worlde, antique aesthetic.

If anyone out there "knows someone" or would be willing to say, "Yes, I have a set of scales you can buy for $X, just have the carver create something within Y parameters and I can fit them to a blade," then do feel free to send me a PM. However, please be advised, I will be taking my time and doing a lot of research (as in, definitely weeks' and probably months' worth) on this before I start firing off PayPals. I will post something in the classifieds when I am satisfied I know what I want and what needs to be done.