Thread: Help me pick new scales!

The "Army & Navy" razor my wife bought me is going to get new scales. The celluloid isn't rotting just yet, but I'm afraid it IS starting to burn my blade (only very slightly), so I've made up my mind to change 'em.

I want scales that will compliment the blade. It has "Army & Navy" in a sort of 19th century typeface with two images of solders that seem to also be in mid to late 19th century dress. Maybe the Spanish American war? I was thinking horn, but I'm not so sure. Bison horn says "Army", but not "Navy". I need some help thinking of something that will seem historicaly accurate. I need something that says both "Rough Riders" and "Great White Fleet". I suppose Teddy Roosevelts teeth would work, but I can't get them.

I'm going to visit my parents at X-mas and re-scaling the razor will be a project for my dad and I (he's got a workshop full of tools and he's always looking for a project to use 'em on). I need your suggestions so I can get the material before the holiday!

If you can get them Mamouth Ivory would be ideal.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

If you can get them Mamouth Ivory would be ideal.

Spooky. That was the first material that came to mind.

Ask Bill Ellis over at Billysblades.com. He works woith a lot of handle material for his custom knives. Have you thought of buffalo horn?

It's all a matter of opinion, but I've seen a few with plexi-glass scales lately that I thought were pretty cool looking...never hide the blade!

RT

Plexiglass is too anachronistic for this blade. Horn was something I was thinking about but I don't think I'll go with it, like I said in my IP, horn says "Army", but not "Navy"

Ivory is a thought, especially if I could do some scrimshaw. The down side is the price, and the fact that I don't have the artistic ability to do scrimshaw.

I may go with ebony, or another wood that I can stain dark. I'm still looking for suggestions, though. Be creative, I want to hear ideas for scale material that no one's ever tried before.

Stabilized giraffe bone?

Originally Posted by joesixpack

Plexiglass is too anachronistic for this blade. Horn was something I was thinking about but I don't think I'll go with it, like I said in my IP, horn says "Army", but not "Navy"

Ivory is a thought, especially if I could do some scrimshaw. The down side is the price, and the fact that I don't have the artistic ability to do scrimshaw.

I may go with ebony, or another wood that I can stain dark. I'm still looking for suggestions, though. Be creative, I want to hear ideas for scale material that no one's ever tried before.

Oosic. I won't elaborate, if you're curious, you can google it. It seems to be somewhat popular in the custom knife arena, but why it is is beyond me. hehe. Can't say I've ever heard of it used as a str8 scale though. It'd be different for sure ....Jeff

Originally Posted by joesixpack

Be creative, I want to hear ideas for scale material that no one's ever tried before.

Oosic. I won't elaborate, if you're curious, you can google it...

Well... imagine that! Look what I did with my Army/Navy blade. The oosic handle is metal lined. Oosic is the bone from the penis of the walrus. The stuff on this razor is fossilized and over 10,000 years old, so no mean hunter killed it... for those of you with those concerns.




I love the stuff, myself... just hate grinding on it. Stinky stinky stinky... This section is from the inner circle of bone where you can see all the pores for the blood to flow through. I fill it with different colors of epoxy. This was left-over material from this knife.
http://www.billysblades.com/Knives%2...%20Fighter.htm

Something about the words "penis" and "razor" in the same sentance just makes me queasy. I don't think I'll be going that route.

Those scales do look good, though I suspect that material's on the $pendy side. Also, it seems like I'll have to back the scales with metal, which is more elaborate than I can handle. I want to stick to the 3 Ss, sawing, sanding and staining.