Thread: age of heljestrand pins and a possible celluloid rot

If you want to test the cell rot theory just leave the blade open and put a small piece of carbon steel between the scales and keep an eye on it. If it's cell rot you will see changes very quickly.

I agree that the washer-less pinned scales are ivory. Early Heljes were like that, but later ivory ones do have washers - say 1930s onwards.

I have quite a few of them in ivorine (faux ivory/french ivory) and literally hundreds of others have passed through my hands, but not a single one has had cell rot. In fact I have never seen cell-rot in ivorine scaled razors. I believe it had too much filler and retardant in it for that - even in mottled celluloid, the rot pattern on the blade is inhibited by the opaque areas which are full of filler.

Regards
Neil