Thread: I think I screwed up my horn scales... HELP!

So I started sanding these beautiful coffee brown horn scales with 600 then 2000 grit wet dry paper to remove what look like blisters (or "scales"), in a effort to restore the horn to its former glory.

Now the scales look a transparent blond.

Is horn supposed to do that? or did I remove the best part of the horn??

Attached is the before and after pix.

Thanks for all your help with this.

Are you sure that they are made of horn, and not some other "plastic" type material made to resemble horn?

well... I think it is...

Did the hot-poker-test and it stinks to high heaven... even while sanding it smells like burnt hair.

Also seems to have "grains" like wood, that remain even after sanding.

The scales were removed from an old Joseph Wostenholm & Sons wedgie.

I can tell you it certainly is not any kind of plastic I am familiar with.

If you want you can send them to me ,and I can get them to come back to looking like almost new.The only problem is the postage.I also have boxes of these old scales,just like these that will polish to new,so if you want you can send them.It only takes a few minutes,but they have to soak for two days first.then they will last another 100 years .Best regards Gary(no charge just postage)

Depending on the type of horn some horn when highly polished and if not too thick are translucent to transparent. The TIs I have all have some degree of transparency.

You did alright.

You removed the dried part of the horn. What you now see, is what the scales originally looked like. The dried area is a brown-ish color.

I had posted a while back about a set of horn scales I was restoring. They cleaned up in places similar to yours for the same reason.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...highlight=horn


Here is another one (not as drastic though):
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...highlight=horn

C utz

Originally Posted by Traveller

If you want you can send them to me ,and I can get them to come back to looking like almost new.The only problem is the postage.I also have boxes of these old scales,just like these that will polish to new,so if you want you can send them.It only takes a few minutes,but they have to soak for two days first.then they will last another 100 years .Best regards Gary(no charge just postage)

Thanks for the offer Traveller, but looking at it again... the blond seems to be growing on me.

I polished up to a nice golden brown, BUT kinda reminds me of those transparent celluloid scales "ripe" with cell rot... lol.

I will keep you in mind though, I may need that service in the future on other horn scales (judging from those cast jobs i see in B/S/T i have no doubt you can bring these horns back to coffee brown color)... oh and I would insist on paying postage both ways.

Originally Posted by C utz

You did alright.

You removed the dried part of the horn. What you now see, is what the scales originally looked like. The dried area is a brown-ish color.

I had posted a while back about a set of horn scales I was restoring. They cleaned up in places similar to yours for the same reason.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...highlight=horn


Here is another one (not as drastic though):
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...highlight=horn

C utz

Thanks for the posts C utz, I did a search for horn repair but never found those two posts.

These things are soooo soft, seems much softer than your average wood...

I have no experience with horn so I thought I could polish to a nice "piano key black"... but end up with blond... oh well, live and learn.

There is something nostalgic about restoring these old horn scales and put them back on those old blades.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Depending on the type of horn some horn when highly polished and if not too thick are translucent to transparent. The TIs I have all have some degree of transparency.

I am realizing this now.. at least one of the scale is transparent with a brown tint... can see the blade right through it... thought all horn was solid color.

What i like is they polish up very easy... way easier than the average plastic.

Originally Posted by smythe

.....
There is something nostalgic about restoring these old horn scales and put them back on those old blades.

I completely agree!

To keep them in good condition (nice and flexible, so they don't crack with age/stress), you can condition them with neatsfoot, or a good olive oil. Just rub it in, and let it sit. Don't do this too much or you'll have a slippery razor!

Just a little goes a long way. I then coat it with renaissance wax (always my last step on cleaning blades and scales)

Post the final pict's when you get those done and pinned to a blade!!!

Good luck

C utz