Thin Bone Scales?

Recently got this razor and I was surprised at how thin the scales were. Especially since they were bone. Well I am assuming they are bone from the looks of them. All of the bone scales I have seen so far were fairly thick, but these were as thin as all the ivory scales I have seen. I put a dime near the pivot for comparison. On the other side the scales are actually alittle thinner yet. I was surprised at how sturdy they feel being that thin. The only bad thing though is the crack near the pivot on the thinnest side. I might try putting some liners on the scales to strengthen them some. Anyone ever seen bone this thin? Also would neatsfoot oil work to rejuvenate bone like horn these seem pretty dry.

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Ive seen some thin bone scales before but those are the thinnest. I would really like to see a better pic of the Tang on that razor. Looks interesting.

A closer pic of the brand or how thin they are? As for the brand it is a John S. Holler & Co. The Tower Brand. Sorry for the bad pictures. I usually like to use natural light, but its night now.

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I have a Wester Bros with thin bone scales like that.

I have this John Hassall wedge which had very thin bone scales on it. there was a crack running through the wedge pin on one side so I lined the inside of the scales with very thin acrylic. I hope you can see it in the picture, the acrylic is clear.
It worked well.

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I dont think Neetsfoot oil is a good idea. I think I read somewhere that it can soak in and actually discolor the bone. Dont know for sure though.
Grant

I used mineral oil on a set of dry bone scales. Worked really good.

Grant,
You did a great job on restoring that razor. What adhesive did you use, CA?

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

Grant,
You did a great job on restoring that razor. What adhesive did you use, CA?

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Thank you.
It was a couple of years ago but if I recall correctly it was epoxy
Grant

I've often wondered why old time ivory scales are so thin while modern customs and production razors finish their ivory much thicker ? Were the old guys saving material by going thinner to squeeze out another scale or two ..... or is the stuff so hard to work that the current makers prefer to go thicker because it is less work, less chance of ruining a piece ? Just wondering.

With my razor it balances perfectly considering how heavy the blade is and how thin the scales are. These scales weigh the same as another bone set that I have that are twice as thick. Maybe the older ivory or bone is denser compared to newer stuff and thats why the change in thickness. Other than that I have no idea why.

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Originally Posted by JSmith1983

With my razor it balances perfectly considering how heavy the blade is and how thin the scales are. These scales weigh the same as another bone set that I have that are twice as thick. Maybe the older ivory or bone is denser compared to newer stuff and thats why the change in thickness. Other than that I have no idea why.

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I wonder if the weight being the same as the thicker bone might have to do with the source of the bone. One may be bovine and the other from a more exotic animal ? :idea:

I'm surprised its not a Swedish razor - I have some Klas Tornblom's with super thin bone and have seen a few other Swedes the same.

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Hmm got me even more curious now about old bone/ivory to new bone/ivory. Different sources could be why some are thicker than others. Different animals could produce denser product. Now if only I have some mammoth tusk lying around to check weight:quantity ratio.

So I decided to mess around with the scales abit. I took a set of horn scales that I had lying around that were 3x as thick, alittle longer and with a bigger lead wedge and the razor still balanced in the same spot. I am going to have to get a postal scale and see what those bone scales weigh. I am thinking that over the years the bone has soaked up alot of stuff to make them that heavy. Either way I think I am going to replace the bone with the horn. The bone looks pretty dry rotted in spots. I will save them for a different razor.