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Here is an additional photo showing the variations in coloring that can be obtained. The material doesn't darken substantially with age - these are all about the same age. The coloring comes from...

Ok here's some more tortoise.

A good early example with a lot of blonde parts. This type is my favorite:

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Next up, I picked this up from razor emporium for super cheap. (It was...

Bingo. This one is dyed horn, for all the reasons you guys found. The edges are sharp, the colors are a little off, and the dark colors don't penetrate. It is also late English and has collars...

Here's one on ebay currently that the seller claims is genuine tortoise.

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Anyone want to have a go at it? Real or fake? What material if fake? How did you tell?

Here's one that just came in. French, early 1800s.

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Thanks! I've got a couple more examples en route, I'll put them up as they come in.

Oh wow, good to know, thanks.

Note also the collarless pinning at the pivot, which is typical. I wonder if these scales are not original to the razor due to the collars at the back?

Hmm all of those images are not loading for me. Can anyone else view them?

Part 2

Here are some pics of stained horn. You can see in some of them where the stain has been dribbled or smudged, sharp outlines on the dark spots, and how the spots are only on the surface:
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Hey all, I'm nowhere near an expert on this but I've handled a good amount of it and thought I'd share what I know about tortoiseshell, with the hopes to have some discussion / hear what everyone who...