Hello everyone. I'm Eugene from Oklahoma.
I recently read a few articles on straight razors. I am hooked. I have always used mach3's and always been disappointed. So, as a lover of traditional art forms, I decided to pursue straight razor shaving. I was looking for good razor, and thought maybe I should ask my father if he has one. Then he handed me my great-grandfathers blade. It has been in the family for almost a hundred years. I was thrilled.

Unfortunately, the razor was dropped on concrete several years ago by a man that my dad was showing the razor to. This incident really upset my father, as he loved this razor. Since then he just put it in a baggie in a drawer untouched. I believe the scales are broken beyond repair. The blade looks undamaged, and could probably be brought back to a pristine condition.

I would like to restore this to a usable condition since it means a lot to me and is part of my family history. I will be the fourth generation to shave with it. I have a few questions for all you knowledgeable men out there.

How is the condition of the blade?
When and where is this blade probably from? it is a Frederick Reynolds Sheffield.
Can I find nice original ivory scales to replace it, or should I build exotic wood scales?
What is the best way to shine my blade back up without messing it up?

Thanks in advance.