Thread: 19th-c-style preshaped horn scales?

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

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Horn is very easy to work with hand tools. Charlie Lew 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 cut 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.

Many thanks for the links/resources.

The superior shave has some an so does eBay.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Horn cuts easily, with a coping saw or even a hacksaw.

Absolutely. And, for making a nice shape, I used cheap cabinet scrapers. Works very well indeed!

Recommendations on scrapers/sellers of scrapers?

Originally Posted by benhunt

Recommendations on scrapers/sellers of scrapers?

These ones here:
Veritas Tools - Scraping Tools - Curved Scrapers