Thread: Annealing rod for pins

Originally Posted by UKRob

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On the subject of washerless peening, you see lots of old ivory scales with fractures which suggests to me that it is inherently risky. However, the very fact that hundreds of thousands of razors were produced this way is counter to my argument, so it suggests that there is safer way to do it. I look forward to being educated on the matter.

Rob

Definitely risky, but I doubt that cracked vintage ivory scales had much to do with poor peening, they were luxury items then and would never have been sold in that condition, obviously.

IMO it has more to do with swelling and shrinking over the years and poor maintenance. I have a large box full of ivory scales that cracked at the pivot and wedge. Not only do we have the natural propensity for ivory to take on and lose water vapour, swelling and shrinking as it does, but there is also the different coefficients for this in the steel of the blade, brass pis and lead wedge.

Most scales in that box, though not all, are cracked on the back. Indeed I have a 7 day set all bar one with cracks on the back. There has to be a reason, and I think it has something to do with laying the razor on its side after shaving without having dried it properly, or in sunlight.

Both cases would cause one scale to move at a dii
fferent rate, the lower scale would get wetter in case 1 and swell more than the top. In the 2nd case the upper scale would become warmer. This could cause it to swell, or lose water vapour and shrink.

Most scales that I have that are badly affected show signs of neglect, like rust stains and green stains from brass friction washers, plus severe discolouration caused by over oiling. All these suggest water as the agent that caused the crack.

Regards,
Neil