Pins and scales questions

So I've recently picked up a pretty solid Fredrick Reynolds from ebay in the original scales. The scales are not cracked or chipped, and say "The Old English Razor" or some such. First, I haven't seen a whole lot on them on the forum. Are they decent brands? I didn't see them under the "Good Brands" on the wiki.

Anyway, are there ways to figure out what they are made of? Or if they are rotted through? I'd like to save them if possible, but it is more important for me to remove the stains/rust that may exist under the scales. So is it possible for me to remove the scales without destroying them? Or is it possible for me to clean the steel under the scales without removing them? I looked through the guide of the wiki, and it wasn't as descriptive as I'd like, so if you guys can give me some pointers, that would be great!

Thanks in advance.

I am a firm believer that if the scales are not damaged in some way, don't pop the pins, keep the razor as original as posible... You can clean even under the pivot with some careful work with some 400-800 grit sandpaper oil and dental floss....
The scales usually can be cleaned with 1000 and up sandpaper and some plastic polish.... MAAS also works very well on most scales....

I always start with an old toothbrush and hot soap and water, you would be surprised what that actually does sometimes...

Take it slow and easy and you will be very happy with the results...


BTW yes FR razors are great shavers and very high quality...

I maintain that all vintage razors are good, even if the name on them is obscure. They were too heavily relied upon for manufacturers to be producing rubbish. Fredrick Reynolds are fairly common.
I have to agree with gssixgun here. I never remove scales unless they are shot. There's just too much chance of them getting destoyed either un-pinning or re-pinning. You can still do a fairly thorough job with them on, & without the stress of removing them.

Sounds great. I'll pick up a toothbrush and go to work. I really don't want to remove the scales. But how can one dectect something like celluloid rot?

Here's a link. It's the best i could find. It's Bill Ellis's blog, so he ought to know!
Bill's Straight Razor Info: Celluloid Rot

That's a great resource. We should ask permission if we can upload a similar themed article to the wiki.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ben.mid

Here's a link. It's the best i could find. It's Bill Ellis's blog, so he ought to know!
Bill's Straight Razor Info: Celluloid Rot

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That certainly illustrates the problem well. Shame such a fancy set of scales is ruined.
Does anyone know what causes it / how it spreads to other razors / how to stop it? It reminds me of fungus that can affect camera lenses and spread between them. (Exposing lenses to strong sunlight is said to kill off that fungus.)

If it's the Fredrick Reynolds I am thinking about... the one with the gold stamping in the scales… the scales are horn… some will call “Pressed Horn”.

Check out this post with photos.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ml&showpost#20

As stated before give the razor a good cleaning with soap, water and a medium or soft bristle toothbrush (hard bristle tends to remove the gold wash in the stamping on the scales).
Then rub them down with some neat’s-foot oil, use a Q-tip to wipe some between the scales (you could use mineral oil such as baby oil) and put the razor away for a few hours or a few days so it will soak up the oil, this will bring back the "flex" in the horn, and then you may polish or wax with a polishing cloth (I try not to use sandpaper on these types of scales).

To get the tarnish in the pivot area, first, if the blade is loose in the scales DO NOT tighten the pivot pin, you need the "slop" to be able to clean up in there...

I would suggest you clamp the blade "tail up" in a vice (or anything that will hold it firmly and not scratch the finish). Now you can move the scales easily while the blade is fixed in one place. Real off a 2 lengths of dental floss and twist them around each other so the floss is thicker than only one strand, it will hold more polish.
Hold one end in each hand and use a push-pull motion to clean the tarnish from the steel. Replace the strands of floss frequently.

TIP: when using floss keep it pressed against the steel to avoid as much as possible contact with the scales as this will quickly cut through the soft scales... so depending on how “tight” the blade is in the scales, you may want to use only one strand of floss.

But with all that said… I have also had great results with a medium bristle tooth brush dipped in my favorite metal polish to clean the pivot area…

Hope this “long wind” helps some

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rajagra

That certainly illustrates the problem well. Shame such a fancy set of scales is ruined.
Does anyone know what causes it / how it spreads to other razors / how to stop it? It reminds me of fungus that can affect camera lenses and spread between them. (Exposing lenses to strong sunlight is said to kill off that fungus.)

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Raj, I could be mistaken, but as with old pocket knives. The old celluloid as it gets older, it breaks down and releases a gas that could affect other products that have celluloid in there scales. Just take an old piece of celluloid and rub it and take a whif! I believe it's almost, if not the same detirioration as in old Films.

Thanks smythe! thats good stuff. can you or someone add it to the wiki? realy good tips...