Complete novice here, and a first time poster. I was given a lovely old King Cutter for Christmas, and have only shaved with it twice as I've acquired all the necessary stropping equipment (it was honed and sharpened by a professional before I received it). Even though I'm just starting out, I'm quite sure that I want to take this all the way and make straight razor shaving a part of my life, and already I am displeased with the razor's synthetic black plastic scales. I have been looking at other scales made by other companies online, but am not sure what aspects of a replacement handle need to match my razor for everything to fit.

What kind of information do I need to know about my razor and about the scales I would like to replace to ensure that they will fit together properly?

Once I do find the scales I want to fit to my razor, how difficult is it to remove the old ones and fit the new ones on? I am working under the assumption that someone of reasonable intellect and with basic tools can accomplish this.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!