Thread: scales

how do you know what material the scales are made of. there's so many different materials. how do you know if it's horn or Bakelite . I can pretty much guess plastic and bone. thanks

Finish, texture and color. Are you talking about one of yours ?

If you look at enough pictures in SRP and the descriptions someday you will be able to see what they smell like :<0)

yes. it is a griffon 6/8 and it's the one with flea bites. insects will eat horn I don't know about Bakelite. I know that may sound strange but I know that bees will eat through an archery target. the scales have a hole inside the scales and another outside. some day at a later date (when my money is longer) I will rescale. but for now I will try to fill in the hole. as far as smell after 45 years with welding smoke and diesel smoke I couldn't smell the air in a bean factory. I found the griffon in the same antique store and the blade shows almost no sign of use. no rust or blemishes at all. it's a square point just my luck.

If you post pics of the scales we will be able to guess the material

I'll get the camera out tomorrow and try to take the photos. or maybe when the sun shines. the photos I've been taking lately inside are discolored. thanks yall.

I don't think anything will eat Bakelite. I have seen old phone parts buried in the ground for years and they only look grainy or less smooth. And of course very brittle.
If it's horn you (MAY) be able to hold it up to light and see some through it. Pics will help us :<0)

I didn't think any thing would eat Bakelite either but wasn't for sure. I'll get the camera out tomorrow and also I'll get the light out and see if I can see a little though it. thanks for the info.

Horn, wood, plastic, micarta, and most other materials are all fairly easy to differentiate between by sight and sometimes just feel. Real ivory can be tough sometimes if you don't want to poke it with a hot pin. The toughest for me had always been trying to tell if a set of scales are celluloid or bakelite - until I finally figured out the difference using smell after a few swipes of abrasive. Of course cell rot is a dead giveaway but too late to do anything about once it appears.

OK I'm hooked now, and on the "scent".

went to the gunsmith and let him look at the scales. he doesn't believe they are horn. must be bakelite. anyway heres a photo of razor. my picture taking ability is not so good. guess I will start looking for replacements. thanks. will put the photo on the first post. still don't know how to work this computer. anyway thanks all.

According to your photo, the front scale is so warped it is obstructing the view of the back scale. Perhaps a photo from a different angle will give us a better handle on the situation.......