Ebay Shoots...Scores!

Hey Folks,

Just nabbed 4 fixer-uppers off the bay. The photos are a little brutal, but the condition is better than I expected. So far it looks like two will be rescaled and the others will just be cleaned up. You're looking at a Torrey, a Robeson ShurEdge, and 2 W&Bs - one is a Medium Size Hollow Ground, the other a wedge with Tortoise scales. (If you're wondering, $10/each in a package deal. Robbed?)

By the way - how does one clean up tortoise? I rubbed it and it smells like burnt hair, so I'm pretty sure they're real. But the edges are starting to look like it's peeling...? :shrug: I'm guessing 1K paper. Or will that ruin it?

So far I've sanded down the MSHG W&B and the Robeson with 120 grit. They will both have some pitting after I'm done, but I want to keep whatever etching I can. Looks like the other two will come out real nice. I'm working on these as shavers more than show pieces. Keep an eye out for finished razors once I decide, purchase and complete the rescaling.

These photos are straight out of the USPS box. They're already looking nice. :D

I don't think that is tortoise, based on how it looks and the age of the blade. I could be wrong, though, it's very hard to tell from pictures and it could be a rescale.

Still a great grab, congrats.

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I don't think that is tortoise, based on how it looks and the age of the blade. I could be wrong, though, it's very hard to tell from pictures and it could be a rescale.

Still a great grab, congrats.

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Could be mottled horn. You'd have to take a closeup picture for us to see; in my very limited experience with the mottled horn (read: one razor) I've found that the dark patches are on the outside of the scales but not on the inside. I'd guess that real tortoise would be consistent throughout the material.

I also put my bid in for mottled (dyed) horn. Horn scales very frequently show delamination of the layers at the ends of the scales.

Hammered tangs are cool in my book.

Have fun with those. Getting new razors, even project razors is exciting.

Chris L

Nice score - good makes. I like all three makes and have several of each.

I am also with the horn. Horn is really hair. You can either sand off the delaminating areas or try something a little different. I have read that Undream heats his raw horn in an over at ~ 250 while clamped flat and then puts it in the freezer to stabilize. This may also re-bond the delaminated areas. I haven't tried this but may be worth a try. I also thing I remember reading that heavy metals were used in the mottling process so be cautious.

Thanks for the insight - I'm going to agree with you after taking a closer look. Commiecat mentioned that the spots would be on the surface, and that's what it looks like to me. (My attempts at taking nice close-ups failed...) I'm gonna let this one sit on the side while I figure out what to do.

I'm really happy with the makes of all these, I used a slightly different method of purchasing the razors and it worked sweet. I originally went for just three of 'em, but the seller threw in the Robeson as a freebie. :D