Thread: Restoring a PUMA

The chip looks like the least of your worries.

I would get very aggressive with the side of a course hone, vertical with no tape just to see how narrow you have to get it to get past the rust.

You could tell really quick if anything more would be a waste of time.

IMO razor is not worth restoring. However the box is very nice and worth the money ALSO you could probably re use the scales if you wanted. Always nice to have spare scales around

Is the rust mirrored on the other side & do the scales smell of camphor? Could be cell rot.

Sand off as much rust as you can, oil & close the blade. Don't open it for a week. If it rusts again the scales are toast.

Here's how you fix the edge if the steel is sound:
https://straightrazorpalace.com/adva...l-setting.html

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.

Those scales are celluloid made to look like ivory. If they are off gassing then the blade will continue to rust. I'd do as posted above and if the scales are bad you can always save the inlay and make another set of scales.

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.

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.

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.

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