Scale Suggestions, please?

Hi All,

How are you?

Well, after many razors and much money I've narrowed down my rotation to just two razors! A Wosty 8/8 and a J. Allen & Sons 7/8 - pictured.

I use the chopper on weekends and when I haven't shaved for a few days, but the Allen is my main razor. It shaves like a dream and I love it (more than other razors). So what's the problem? Well, I don't much care for the scales of the Allen. They work, they feel comfortable to use and there's nothing exactly wrong with them (except a few chips) but I just don't like them.

I do like the fact that they aren't very good because I want my daily razor to be a 'humble' razor, the sort where you look at it and don't think Wow, that's the most fantastic razor I've ever seen. The reason I'm having trouble choosing scales is because the scales you guys make are all so beautiful.

So, my question is what would you recommend?
(Requirements) Nothing too flashy, humble/understated, something that goes with the Wostenholm bone scales, and traditional.

(pictures would be greatly appreciated)

Cheers,

Personally I would get horn or wood or something like that. I like organic materials and the razors I have with horn scales all look fantastic.

Or I'd get in touch with Glen about his acrylic scales. He restored a razor for me last year and that thing just looks stellar! As a rule I dont really like acrylic scales but the ones he did for me are just out of this world. They dont even look like acrylic, they look like some sort of incredibly dark blue mother of pearl. Or what space would look like if you could condense it down into a tangible substance. I seriously seriously love those scales!

JMHO of course.

Horn... as black as you can get.

Call me sentimental, but I'm of the opinion that what 160 years have kept together, no man ought tear asunder. :shrug:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

Call me sentimental, but I'm of the opinion that what 160 years have kept together, no man ought tear asunder. :shrug:

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Yes, I agree, and thanks for the sentiment. So would you suggest a restore? I don't think I've ever seen restored mottled horn scales. If someone could make them look like new I'd definitely consider it.

Ivory always works.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...one/scales.jpg

I agree with Ben about keeping old scales. But, my favorite scales are always black. Black acrylic, black horn (tough to get good black horn, unfortunately), or ebony. If you prefer lighter scales, bone, ivory (if you can get it...), mammoth ivory,or ivory colored acrylic can do it.

Oh, I totally forgot about G10. That's good in black or ivory colored as well. Same for micarta, I suppose.

Replacing these nice, old scales will be mistake.
They were made between 1850 and 1870.
The razor lose her soul ...and historical value. IMO.

Either keep it all original and clean up those scales, or go all out with something like Natural Abalone LVS acrylic and mirror the blade, JMHO but YMMV !

I really like those original scales personally...

its scales seem like they've been cleaned up already, but may be a fresh soak in neatsfoot oil for few days and light sanding/polish would make them extra shiny. If it weren't for the stamp on the horn matching the blade i wouldn't have thought they belonged together because the blade is just very wide and a different shape would be matching better. It's possible that the factory didn't care that much for the aesthetics, or that they were put later on - from the look of it the pins could've been replaced.

So if it weren't for that stamp in the horn I'd have changed them into horn of something similar to the standard shape of those wide razors i.e. wider and squarish wedge end and narrower pivot end (more like the first razor). If it were my razor I may still do it because of the uncertainty of it being original and then put those scales on another narrower celebrated blade from the period that fits them better.