Thread: Decorating Plastic Scales

Caveat - I've haven't even purchased my first straight, but I'm commited to learning one and will soon be making a purchase.

As a new guy, you can't help looking at some of the vintage razors with those nice decorative scales. You see florals and vinework, cameos and women with wind-swept hair, bamboo stalks and repititive patterns and you can't help but admire the beauty of the things, an element sadly missing from todays utilitarian items.

While looking at these, I spotted the basic plastic scales for restoration that can be purchased from Classicshaving.com and suddenly I had me a thought...

Anyone ever decorate a set of plastic scales?

It seems to me with a Dremel on a slow speed, a small butane torch for smoothing (maybe, or maybe it's not needed) and a bottle of plastic polish, you could really get artistic with todays razors. I've seen engraving on bone, horn, plastics & acrylics, wood, glass and resin done with a Dremel, really nice intricate stuff. I'm beginning to to wonder why I shouldn't buy a cheap set of plastic scales and give it a whirl, though I've never worked in plastic before. I know it melts pretty easily and you have to go slow, but I've seen finished pieces, so I know it's plausible, just no idea how I'd do it or what I'd need.

Anyone ever do this?

Search out a member named Vlad and take a look at some of his old posts, the man is a true artist...
I only wish I was that artistic, if you have that talent, with patience and some ability I am sure you can do it...

I appreciate it, gssixgun, but searching for posts by user name vlad turned up an "Invalid Member" message - no hits.

I'll keep sifting through the archives of Restoration, though. There is some amazing talent on this board.

Straight Razor Place Forums - View Profile: vladsch

Sorry forgot the "sch"

hit the "show all statistics" link on his page that will bring up all his old posts and threads.....

Got it. Most appreciated.

Most of those fancy scales were celluloid and its properties made it ideal for either pressing or forming I don't know which. To do something like that with plastic unless your going to use the right kind where you could start with a liquid and create a mold you would have to hand carve it. You could hand carve bone and Ivory though.