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I've got a number of razors without scales or which need rescaling. I don't really have good tools (or the time) to shape my own scales right now, and I think I generally prefer horn to wood anyway (and horn seems much more tricky to do with hand tools, which I what I have). Can anyone recommend decently priced horn scales which aren't too thick? That is, which are more or less like 19th-c. horn scales?
I have seen a few pre made scale sets and most are plain jane plastic or faux antler. I believe if you want horn scales you are gonna have to make em from blanks with your mitts or pay someone to craft and fit them for you. I can't even remember right not where in the world I have come across the pre made scales I believe if you type in pre made razor scales a couple places pop up. I know one was a knife maker parts site and the other is a razor resto supply store. Hope this helps some.
I know that Thiers-Issard sells their horns scales separately but they are not exactly cheap (in a nearby store I'd have to pay 56 EUR for one set of blonde horn scales).
That being said, I don't think making scales out of horn is trickier than making them out of wood, the only issue I've encountered so far being warping of the horn.
The Invisible Edge has many bone, wood, composite, and horn scales pre-made. Exactly what you're looking for.
Horn is very easy to work with hand tools. Charlie Lewis has an excellent video doing so in mycarta, wood and horn are easier to cut and shape.
Also Karlej, has an excellent tutorial on shaping horn scales. Horn cuts easily, with a coping saw or even a hacksaw.
AJ Kennedy ( ajkenne4xm3, EBay) and Masecraft are excellent sources for horn. You can get it off other EBay sites, but quality is hit and miss.
Here are the links.
Lewis Razor
Karlej How to make a traditional set of horn scales
I had a go at working with horn before and found it really slow, but I think I'll have another go at it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Euclid440
Many thanks for the links/resources.
The superior shave has some an so does eBay.
Absolutely. And, for making a nice shape, I used cheap cabinet scrapers. Works very well indeed!Quote:
Originally Posted by Euclid440
Recommendations on scrapers/sellers of scrapers?
These ones here:Quote:
Originally Posted by benhunt
Veritas Tools - Scraping Tools - Curved Scrapers
For doing scales, are all three shapes useful?Quote:
Originally Posted by decraew
Necessary? No. Useful? Probably. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by benhunt
Different radius curves will let you get into and on to different shapes and surfaces more easily than a straight-edged scraper. That having been said, you can bend 'normal' scrapers into different shapes for much the same effect.
The scrapers linked are made by Veritas, who make very high quality tools. Veritas is part of Lee Valley, so for a wider selection of scrapers, you might want to check here: Steel Scrapers - Lee Valley Tools - Woodworking Tools, Gardening Tools, Hardware Supplies
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Card scrapers are great for large flat surfaces but for me, they are hard on the fingers and hands, they are inexpensive and available from any woodworking stores.
You can make an inexpensive scraper from a dollar store putty knife, by just filing or sanding on a belt sander, the edge, in one direction. Granted putty knives are not hardened, like scrapers but work well for soft materials like Horn, wood and plastics and can be refreshed quickly and easily.
I recently refinished a wood laminated, vintage Ice Axe handle and just touched 3 putty knives to a belt sander to form a burr and scrape the old finish off and cut down to bare wood quickly and easily.
A 1.5 in putty knife is much easier to hold and you can easily form a curved surface.
You can also do the same with a chisel, that is hardened steel and the burr may last longer. Or purchase purpose built scraper from Gunsmith supplies like Brownell’s for about $15.
You can make a curved scraper by cutting a curve in a putty knife or chisel, but it would make re-surfacing more difficult. Though you can roll/burnish the edge, with any hard round surface like a Philips screwdriver. But really a small flat surface is much quicker and capable of producing the same surface with much less work.
You will sand the scales smooth anyway. The scraper is used to shape the material quickly. With horn or bone the added benefit is not having sanding dust and more importantly the smell all over you and your shop.