Thread: Restoring a PUMA

Originally Posted by DZEC

I used my Dremel abrasive pads on the black stuff. Turns out it wasn’t corrosion after all, just some kind of stain that seems to come off fairly easily. I guess I lucked out on that.

I will have to be careful to avoid damaging the etching when I go after the stain on that side of the blade. I was thinking of masking the etching with tape or clear nail polish to help protect it before going after the stain some more.

The scales are in good shape and do not appear to be celluloid. I’m not able to get them to show clearly in a picture, but they have a pattern that almost looks like a grain.



I had seen that post by Glen about removing a chip, but wasn’t able to locate it right away. Thanks for providing the link Onimaru.

The only way to stain steel is with an acid or a base. Either causes corrosion but it's great if you have repaired it

Mask the etching for sure. It will give peace of mind for the rest of the cleanup.

The scales are celluloid & sometimes called Ivorine as they mimic the grain of ivory. If you rub them with some fine wetndri they will smell of camphor. Do as advised & bag up the razor to assess the scales. A Puma should not be wasted by allowing it to corrode more.

No problema on the link. I'd like to say I have a photographic memory but in truth it was Google that helped

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I would urge you to put that razor (closed in the scales) in a Ziploc bag then seal it and leave it/kind of like what was recommended before and then leave it there for 7-10 days and see what's happening.

What do you have to lose? Give it a go.

Will do. Thanks for the suggestion.

Less than 36 hours in a Ziplock and the black stuff has reappeared. Sure looks like celluloid rot. Thank you to Cudarunner and others for the warning and the diagnostic suggestion.

What a shame, the scales look pretty good. They aren’t brittle at all and are fairly thick. However, as Onimaru said, I would not want to waste a PUMA blade, so I will replace them. I haven’t read anywhere that it is possible to stabilize them so they don’t continue off-gassing.

The blade is currently 11/16 inch from bevel to top of spine and I figure removing the chip will take it down to 10/16. Still respectable and should preserve the etching.

I’d really like to preserve the PUMA badge on the scales. I think I read that using acetone to dissolve the existing scale might be the safest strategy, but I’m not sure. Any tried and proven techniques would be welcome.

I think I can use a CA to attach the emblem to a replacement scale. Is there a way to imbed it it the receiving scale so that it doesn’t just sit on the surface? I was thinking of using a plastic replacement scale and heating it to set the emblem, but that sounds ifffy and chintzy given the blade. With patience and a steady hand, I suppose I could try to carve a shallow receiving spot on the new scales, but that would really tax my current skill level.

What other material would you suggest I use for the replacement scales that could accept the badge?

The existing scales are 1/8 inch thick and have a 1/16 indentation on each side to accommodate the rubber piece on the tang. I’m pretty sure I can use my Dremel to rout out a similar feature on the new scales.



This has turned out to be a lot more work and amuch greater challenge than just polishing a tarnished blade. It will certainly be a learning experience. Pretty excited, actually

Don’t be surprised if I continue to seek advice as I try to bring this find back to good condition.

I think you'll find Glen's (GSSIXGUN) video here very informative and helpful. I believe it's what you're looking for to be able to transfer that 'crest':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReEkuWzEmdM&t=8s

I found this thread about using heat on plastic to place the inlay.

https://straightrazorpalace.com/work...c-plastic.html

Seems worth a try.

Gssixgun to the rescue again.

Transferring inlays to new scales. I believe Glen glues these to the surface and if that’s OK for him, it is more than fine for me.

https://wetshaversworkshop.com/index...253/#post-2343

Rezdog also has a strategy.

inlay transfer method | TheShaveDen

An alternative to acetone is boiling water . I never seem to have acetone around when I need it .

Pretty sure the inlay would have been dropped on to the scales after heating it. How hot I dunno. Glue is safer.

Boiling water worked for me a couple times though unintentionally. Tried to straighten some scales and it shrunk the scales enough that the bolsters and inlays just popped off. Happened to two S.R. Droescher razors. Acetone worked when I wanted to do it intentionally. Haven't really messed around with the heat in awhile. I wanted to try and heat up a metal plate on top of the inlay and see if that would help keep the plastic flush around the inlay. I messed around with using a dremel to carve out the inlay and then heating which worked out better to keep it flush, but my carving was off in spots and looked horrible. If only I had the skills of Mycarver. I'm still sitting on a Puma that needs a new tang grip and scales that I can't decide on what to do. Whatever you decide to do post your results. I always love the transformation from before and after. Edit: Need to add that I didn't mean that using boiling water would shrink your scales since it has only happened with two sets of Droescher scales and not with other ones.

Been on a bit of an extended holiday with wife and dogs and haven’t been able to work on the PUMA as a result. I will get back to it in a week.

I am ordering some replacement horn scales from Fendrihan. They are relatively inexpensive and will allow me to try a few options. Pic will follow as I move forward.

Thanks again to everyone who posted suggestions. They have been very helpful.

I got rid of the chip without losing too much metal.


Managed to clean it up and not damage the etching.


The scales cleaned up nicely with toothpaste and automotive rubbing compound. There is still some staining, but that looks to be a result of contact with the rubber bit on the tang.

I’m beginning to think that the celluloid rot diagnosis may have been premature. I hope that is the case, but I am keeping the razor in its coffin box in an open area away from other razors just in case.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice. For $25, I now have a nice PUMA and a nice PUMA coffin box.