Thread: Scale restoration question

I'm trying to restore my first set of scales.

I recently bought this Allison's Celebrated razor.



As you can see, the scales are pretty wrecked, but I want to keep them for obvious reasons. I'm hoping to get this old fellow back into working condition. I don't need it museum-perfect, but I want it fixed enough that I can use the razor without fear that it will fall apart in my hands.

The trouble is that the scales are not only brittle after 200 years, they're also so thin and delicate I don't know how to deal with them! For comparison, here's my Wade and Butcher next to the new one:



I am debating making a set of dark hardwood 1/16 scales, and gluing the ivory (or horn, or whatever it is) onto the dark wood, and then repinning the whole thing.



I think the dark wood "liners" would give kind of a neat two-tone look, and would add some stability to the very fragile, very old scales.

I'm not sure how to deal with the cracked ivory, but I figured I could make a patch out of a lighter wood or something that would preserve the broken look, but fill the hole.

Does this sound like a silly idea? Are there better ways to repair this? I'm open to suggestions.

I'm fairly new to razor restoration, but I know my way around a woodshop, and have access to a good one.

Hopefully 'outback' will drop by and offer his advice. If not, you might send him a PM. Mike does amazing stuff with scales.

Thanks for the heads up, Mick. If I don't hear from him, I'll reach out.

Cheers!

I agree, those are special scales (bone i believe) and it would be a shame to use a visible liner to fix them. I'm pretty sure they can be fixed so the repair isn't visible. Outback has done some amazing repairs.

You can use 3/4 oz. fiberglass as a backer. CA and baking soda to repair the missing pieces.

Though I haven't tried this yet. But I understand you can use talc, instead of baking soda. Its supposed to look closer to ivory/bone.








I'll be more than happy to explain more in detail later today, but right now I gotta get my arse to work, before I'm late.

I know the process pics on on here someplace

These Vintage Ivory Scales were repair using .030" G10 liners from Masecraft the Blue was a customer choice, every other set I have used Black as a liners

I used the Baking Soda method to fill the crack as Mike described

I would NOT use wood or any other material that can swell as a liner

The G10 that Glen used is available very thin, and even at those very tiny thicknesses it is incredibly strong. I have used G-10 liners for such things also. I’d really like to try the fibreglass that Mike used. They are worth the time and effort to save.

It is the same thing as the G10 liners, the difference is I built the liners to the scales. Which in turn makes them very thin, and almost not visible.




There's four layers of glass between the scales. scale

Oh, good heavens - fibreglass is super obvious, now that you say it.

I'd be a little worried that the glass fibres would play merry hell on the blade, though!

It'll be weeks (or likely months) before I have time to start actually tackling this project, so take your time on a more detailed reply!

Thanks so much!

Oh, good point about wood swelling. Would bone not be subject to the same swelling, though? I've never worked with bone or horn before, so I genuinely have no actual idea...