Thread: Original Razor box restoration

Anyone ever had success with restoring a box (cardboard, not wooden) with oh... say badly faded, the bottom falling out etc... I like the look of an old original box with a new looking razor inside, but not when it's gone beyond functionality or no longer readable.

My first thought was paint, then dye, then ink... I'm wondering what sort of outcomes anyone has had.

I searched "box restoration" and couldn't come up with anything.

2knives, I have been pondering on getting one of these for a while...I know what you mean about the "old" look. Once you get to the site you have to look around for one that is not sold...There are still a couple left.

Scaramanga - Leather Satchel & Messenger Bags

Among many other things, creating replica boxes have been on my list of things to do for some time. Too many ideas and not enough time, however.

I've gone as far as soaking several different types in water overnight and I've separated the cardboard core from the outer paper. The core would be used as a template. It's rigid cardboard. The outer papers, faux leather, etc will be the challenge since they're so thin.

The old Sheffield coffin exteriors look to be almost papier mache over the cardboard and then look to be painted with a black paint/glue.


Chris L

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I've gone as far as soaking several different types in water overnight and I've separated the cardboard core from the outer paper. The core would be used as a template. It's rigid cardboard. The outer papers, faux leather, etc will be the challenge since they're so thin.Chris L

Interesting! Great start... thanks

I have been planning to restore this razor case which is covered by the same type of leatherette material that many of the razor coffins are covered in. I found that bookbinding companies carry many of the materials that could be used in making new coffins such as heavy cardboards, the proper glues, etc. I hope this is of some help.

Regards - Walt

Here are a couple of links that might be helpful. They pertain to books, but some of the treatments of bindings may be useful:

How to Clean Books | Stuff

How to Remove Mold and Prevent it from Forming on Old Books - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Hope these help. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Walt

I have been planning to restore this razor case which is covered by the same type of leatherette material that many of the razor coffins are covered in. I found that bookbinding companies carry many of the materials that could be used in making new coffins such as heavy cardboards, the proper glues, etc. I hope this is of some help.

Regards - Walt

If you find any leatherette papers that are extremely thin, please post here or PM me. I have gone as far as receiving some samples of leatherette papers from a bookbinding source (forgot the name at the moment and my bookmarked sites were wiped out when my computer crashed recently); I had to pay like $5 for the samples. Appearance wise, they're suitable for razor coffins, but they're much thicker, relatively speaking and are backed in a sort of fine cloth (which adds to their thickness). They would not crease easily as would be necessary for the ends of the boxes.

If you soak an old razor coffin in water to take one apart you'll see the old papers were........."paper thin"

Chris L

Originally Posted by Wintchase

2knives, I have been pondering on getting one of these for a while...I know what you mean about the "old" look. Once you get to the site you have to look around for one that is not sold...There are still a couple left.

Scaramanga - Leather Satchel & Messenger Bags

Ok I LOVE the look and style of those Shave Boxes. I really want one....now does anyone know of anyone/place in the states that sells them?

Originally Posted by ChrisL

If you soak an old razor coffin in water to take one apart you'll see the old papers were........."paper thin"

Chris L

The more of these old boxes I see, the more I lean toward thinking that after the rectangular thick core was wrapped in fine layers of paper and pressed against a mould to form a pattern (if you unwind one you will see that often the pattern carries on over to the next layer - they couldn't have been pre-patterned then rolled) they were treated with some kind of 'dope' finish.

I have looked at a lot of old varnish recipes especially formulated for paper, and they seem to contain powdered copal resin, dissolved sandarac resin, powdered mastic, benzine, chloroform, ethyl alcohol, lamp black, ivory black etc. They would have been quick-drying and some types could be brought up to a shine by rubbing with a cloth.

A further sub-division of old formulas included gums such as arabic and dammar along with a pigment such as lamp black or ivory black, but these would have been slow drying.

I have benzine, ethyl alcohol chloroform and today I sorted out a few 'beyond repair' coffins to work on, so I will see if any of those solvents will dissolve the finish - that should narrow the type of dope down a bit.

One of the sources of paper-box making in the 1700s - 1800s that I read mentioned a 'former' such as a piece of wood shaped like the interior of a razor coffin being 'smeared in tallow' before the dampenend card was wrapped around it and then secured in place by layers of paper. I haven't been able to detect any tallow (grease) on the insides of any of the old coffins I have seen, but I haven't soaked one yet with that purpose in mind - it should be water resistant on one side and not the other if they used this method I would have thought.

As an aside, the black damping stuff you used to see painted on the old paper loudspeaker cones looked a bit like the stuff used on the outside of razor coffins.

Regards,
Neil

Thanks for all the info. Can you share your sources Neil; sounds like some fun reading.

Some thoughts on what you said: The block form need not be slathered, dont ya think? . You would "grease" it and rub it in. The reason being -the glue wouldn't stick to it.

additionally one would also see layers as an artifact of card board manufacture- making the board to make the case.

I have always been interested in making coffins- well ever since I had a razor coffin. The embossed ones---somewhere somebody has the plates