Thread: WB covered tang.

My guess is that it's ivory. The blade is in good enough shape not to need any work but I wonder if anything can be done to keep the cracks from getting worse, this is nice enough as is and won't be getting any work other than honing.

Very nice catch and good to go as is after a good honing for sure. Are the scales very thin compared to other razors?
I know what I would do to keep the cracks from getting worse but I am a philistine when it comes to working on razors so I'll wait and see what the experts advise.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Very nice catch and good to go as is after a good honing for sure. Are the scales very thin compared to other razors?
I know what I would do to keep the cracks from getting worse but I am a philistine when it comes to working on razors so I'll wait and see what the experts advise.

Bob

Yes, very thin.

Beautiful razor! I dont think you can glue it because its a natural material that will expand and contract. But I havent played with ivory to much.

Originally Posted by Hart

Yes, very thin.

I think your guess on ivory maybe correct. Can't really see the grain but it does have some of the clues to ivory, very thin scales and washerless pinning.

Bob

It's all ivory. The tail would be solid ivory from the pin-hole back, so care to clean out and stabilize the crack with CA is imperative as using it. Will require unpinning, possibly.

Yeah, I wouldn't do anything other than keeping the shank dry. There are several designs of joining the blade with the shank, and yours may be one of the weaker ones, but there are no big inherent stresses to make it break.

Here's something that broke during restoration:

Nice ivory W&B. I have an ivory scaled Heljestrand with a similar crack at the wedge end. I haven't ever done anything to reinforce it. I just handle it with care, and I do use it occasionally. So far so good. I do agree with Tom, that if you could reinforce it that might be a good way to go though.

I'll go with a yes on the ivory evenn though i don't see any grain. Right now I'm on a POS Dell with a bad batterey so my screen is dim. The scales being thin & it is pinned w/o washers which is how ivory is done. My Macbook Pro went out last Saturday & Apple has it in the shop or I'd be able to see it better. I should be getting it back anyday now, but i miss it. I had to learn how to use this POS all over again after a few years of using my Macbook.I hate this thing but I guess it's better than nothing. It even has me missppelling a lot!

Ultrasonic cleaner and the thinnest formula of cyanoacrylate glue.

The ultrasonic will get some of the buildup out of the cracks, most if you're lucky.

You can then press the cracks closed and touch thin CA glue to them. Capillary action will wick that glue right down into the crack and seal it. You'll need a vise or an extra set of hands you don't mind getting glue on.