Thread: Thiers-Issard scale repair

I have a relatively new Thiers-Issard Olivewood scaled razor. The wood has cracked at the pivot pin, making blade very loose. It is cracked all the way across, but I think the collar on the pivot pin is keeping the piece held on, as it has not separated.

I would like to salvage the scales, and there is at least 1/2" space between the bottom of the scales and the wedge, and at least that much room between the tail and the center pin when the blade is fully open. It seems to me that a new whole could be drilled and new pivot inserted half an inch down the scales with washers and the thing still work well.

Any ideas or comments on this approach - and anyone here who could tackle this and maybe hone this bear for me too? PM me with cost if you would.

K

depin and CA (super/crazy glue) the offending split. You could also take the opportunity to do a CA finish on the scales.

This would effectively seal the wood from moisture and prevent further splitting or damage.

The razors below are done in CA

If its relatively new I would send it back to the retailer and ask for a new set of scales. Unless you dropped it or something like that, that should not have happened. If its beyond that classic shaving has kits for repinning. If you want someone else to do it you can contact Mr Williams or Joe Chandler.

Thanks for the replies guys,

I don;t think that CA would work, as the split is all the way across and oil used to maintain the blade has seeped into the crack - I can't send it back to the retailer because I got it second hand (and allegedly in "perfect shape") - but I still think I could trim off a bit and it would be fine - I just can't do it myself- I hear these are great razors (despite obvious build quality issues) and the olivewood is pretty - I would like to try the CA to seal the wood when I am done fixing it, but right now I just gotta get this crack fixed -

Who is the resto maestro that uses the screw on pivot pins around here, is that Robert Williams or Joe C?

K

mmm CA should work through oil... well it has in the past for me, try using a little bit of methylated sprits (or other mild solvent) to remove some of the oil.

I don't know if it will work in this case... but this seems as good a thread as any to share this info

When refurbing old gun stocks that were finished with oil I put an incandescent lamp next to the wood and allow it to gently heat up.
Because the oil will move towards the heat, soon the stock looks like it is sweating. The i dust unscented baby powder on the sweating wood which the oil immediately soaks into. (flour works too)

You can wipe the soaked powder off the wood then and put it back under the heat. I've used this method a number of times and it will eventually take every drop of oil out of the wood.

On older rifles, made in the 50s and 60s they used to use beautilful fiddle-back walnut (US made guns) as standard because it was so plentiful at the time. Over years of handling and oiling the metal parts, the stocks become darker and darker eventually hiding the beautiful timber grain and making the rifle look old and tired. Stripping the oil out of the timber and applying a fresh finish has trippled the value of some of the rifles i've bought and sold.

An old furniture makers trick worth remembering.

Greg Frazer

The same trick will work on the collars of leather jackets.

There you go!... might take another look at that old motorbike jacket of mine.

Nice looking scales in those photos by the way Lancer.

Greg Frazer

Looked at it again, and CA in the crack won't work - if the crack wasn't straight across the pivot pin, it would be fine - but the pivot needs to be tightened, and the CA would not take the stress.

OK, so any scale folks want to take a crack at the repair? Please?

K

Personally, (if you are intent on keeping the scales and not make new ones), I'd add a thin brass liner (I used 0.005...very thin), glued to the insides of the scales. I then would follow it up with a thin plastic liner, because I don't like the brass touching the blade for a long period when closed....BUT, this last layer is optional.

The brass is thin enough that it would not be noticed much visually or in weight, but strong enough to hold the pin area when tightened.....

That's my $0.02!

C utz