Thread: Foreign matter in bakelite scales

I'm in the middle of working on a Lion Brand from Yankee Cutlery. I finished the blade and successfully straightened the scales. Giving them a once over I decided they could use a little sanding to remove some scratches before polishing. There was also a tiny spec of something metallic that seemed to be embedded in the bakelite. I figured it would just come out with some sanding but it just keeps getting bigger. It seems to be a piece of brass that has been molded into the scale material. I've seen this sort of a thing a couple times before. I can't really justify putting new scales on this blade, but it's a bit of an eye sore. I could keep sanding and it may go away, or it may get bigger. I guess I'm posting this in hopes of some ideas. Any chemicals that can make brass black(permanent marker looks weird).

Have seen a post of a wire in a celluloid scale before as a stiffener but not Bakelite

The blade looks great.

Keep the scales as part of the heritage. A conversation piece.

or

Replace the scales if the spot really bothers you.

That is a lovely blade! The scales often got a bit of 'stuff' in them during the casting and finishing process. Still happens today in our 'modern' plastic moldings. A bit falls off a hydraulic line or off the edge of the mold.
Bakelite is a a thermosetting plastic so it was in a mold that was then heated to cure the material and demolded after cooling.

Hard Rubber , Vulcanite, Ebonite, and other trade names,and some other materials were pressed hot into one piece mold cavities and demolded when cooled
From Wikipedia:
Ebonite contamination was problematic when it was used for electronics. The ebonite was rolled between metal foil sheets, which were peeled off, leaving traces of metal behind. For electronic use the surface was ground to remove metal particles.

Celluloid was cut to shape by stamping( the really pretty flat mottled and geometric styles) and by injection molding for the contoured and fancy pictorial carved types.

Your scales appear to be Ebonite or some other named hard rubber.
~Richard

The company Jax makes all kinds of blackening agents for metals. I am not sure that I would be too concerned with it. The felt pen idea is probably going to be the most simple. I do understand it is interrupting your otherwise perfect restore. I'd like to see the rest of the pictures. I think it is looking pretty sharp!

Birchwood casey also has a brass blackening solution,any Gunshop will carry it
If that was my blade,I would noy be concerned about it.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Birchwood casey also has a brass blackening solution,any Gunshop will carry it
If that was my blade,I would noy be concerned about it.

Agreed.

It is part of the heritage of this piece.

I have a F. Reynolds with someone's initials cut into the scales. They will stay there.

When I first started working on razors I couldn't wait to get rid of all those "defective" scales. I bought tons of material and made new ones at the smallest excuse. Lately I've been buying old razors with broken scales and refurbishing my "defective" scales to go with the recent old razors. A little backwards perhaps but I have decided I like the characterized old scales. I would keep those carved initials too! I have an old set of scales for a 7/8 Kropp that has me looking for an old Kropp with broken scales.

Thanks for the replies fellows. I decided to go with a sharpie and it looks great. I had my doubts because it looked horrible when the scales had just been sanded. Looks much better on polished scales though. Extra fine tip sharpies are nice to have around. I've used them to freshen up color details on celluloid scales in the past with great results.

Beautiful razor ....Is that a scrimshaw box ?