Thread: Two tone white

I'm currently working on a set of bone scales. White. I cut them out with a fine tooth band saw after i used paper in the center and glued the two pcs together. I found my holes for the wedge and hinge pin and then worked the down with a belt sander. at present i'm sanding them under water to remove the scratches . Now i'm seeing white on the center of the sides and whitish clear around the edges. If you add the width of the clear together both would add up the the width of the center. Kid of stripped. Is this normal with white bone. Most bone scales i've seen of the older variety are yellowish. do they die them or is this age. This is the first time with bone. I've made several scales out of horn and acrylic.

I don't know,,,

I have no idea about the edge issue. I was under thw impression that bone was white and yellowed with age. Unless you're outback and utilize magic and coffee.

I am going to guess that you are working with camel bone. It does have different translucent effects in it and some color variegation. The options are to accept it, bleach it to a more pure white by soaking it in hydrogen peroxide for a few days, or soaking it in a tea mixture to darken it. I have not venture into the tea soak but have seen it in several threads. The peroxide works very well.

Loose fitting it with small bolts and nuts. Blade is just off center and the scales are a little over size. I will work them down some then soak them in Hydrogen peroxide before putting them back. Thanks. Oh and it's suppose to be camel bone i think. I know there hard.

I left the two tone color in my second set of camel bone scales. The first set I soaked in hydrogen peroxide and finished it so smooth that it looks like my ivory scales. I like both looks but prefer the two tone because it is different and not the same ole same ole of a thousand and one other razors that look just like it. I enjoy being different. Just good food for thought.

Here is link to some scales I dyed in tea and soaked in hydrogen peroxide. I also left a set of scales set in the tea over night. They came out much darker but they also etched the bone and required re-polishing as the etching left a dull finish to the bone. If you chose to re-polish go easy because the stain in not very deep and you will cut through the stain to white bone. http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...omparison.html

I suspect what you are seeing is the different structure of the bone when sanding past the harder outer layer. Bone differs from say horn in that the structure gets more porous the closer you get to the centre.

Originally Posted by karlej

Here is link to some scales I dyed in tea and soaked in hydrogen peroxide. I also left a set of scales set in the tea over night. They came out much darker but they also etched the bone and required re-polishing as the etching left a dull finish to the bone. If you chose to re-polish go easy because the stain in not very deep and you will cut through the stain to white bone. http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...omparison.html

Love the razors. Those scales look great. I soaked mine in HP and put them together today and honed. After seeing yours i wish i had used black acrylic instead of lead.