Restoration for One of the "Other Guys"

So after a few years of honing and restoring literally thousands of razors today was a first for me...
I got in a work request from one of the "Other Guys" those guys out there that only collect razors for the unique scales... (TY Dllandry for the referral)

He sent 5 sets of special scales and 10 or so razors, his words "I sent some extra blades, use whichever fits best with each set of scales" No sharpening didn't even care about me polishing off the rust and stains just wanted me to treat the scales like special golden eggs...
Well I very very carefully broke them all down, fit the blades to them, still polished off all the rust and staining (just could not stop myself) and put them all very carefully and very gently back together...

I talked with him a bit on the phone, over the last couple of weeks, and learned a bit about what they look for... Also learned that this switching of scales has been going on for quite a long time.. This one guy has over 1300 razors, and has been collecting for decades...
I also found out that many of these very special scales are not connected to a razor company they were made by the scale company and sold to not only the Razor companies but also to Barber supply shops as replacement scales...
So I guess the Restoration/Customization game has been around for awhile...
Anyway here is a pic of the ones I did today,,, BTW the two sets of metal scales are stamped "Sterling"



Attachment 52419

Glen,

First of all, fabulous job. It takes a lot of guts going into someones scale collection knowing that they could crack at any second - nerve wracking to say the least.

Second, this is what I love about collecting razors. You can find some unique characteristic you like from scales to etching to blade shape and go on a bug hunt for that one thing. It's just so cool.

Thanks for sharing. Most of us just get to see plain black scales.

David

Well, the job you did may convert him to liking clean steel as well as fancy scales.
Hard to imagine having rusty old blades in such scales
I bet those sterling ones have some weight.

Nicely done!

That is interesting to collect razors without actually using them. Boy do I have a way to go to get a collection that large.

Some people like the preacher and others the preacher's wife :):p. It takes all kinds.

regardless of what the user's intentions, I think you did a great job on these Glen :tu.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

Well, the job you did may convert him to liking clean steel as well as fancy scales.
Hard to imagine having rusty old blades in such scales
I bet those sterling ones have some weight.

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Oz man, you and I would loose that bet :D
I was expecting weight too, but nope, they almost balance to the tang...
The ends (wedge and pivot) are soild but the rest is a thin thin pounded metal the very edges are slightly thicker too... I would guess some type of engraved steel stamp that the scales are beat onto somehow, maybe John/Shutterbug knows how they were done...

Well done as always Glen. A steady hand is a good thing.

I know that I should not make WAGs! Howsomever, Since I have made jewelery and assorted thin wall product prototypes for the hardware and badge markets, I will say that the thin scales were formed by using a rubber block and a hydraulic press forcing the metal preform ( an approximate 3D curved sheet metal shape) into the metal molds which were used to make the composition and celluloid scales of the same pattern. For example, see the back razor's scales; that pattern is common for the celluloid scales from the 1890s onward. The annealed metal actually becomes hard during the forming process.
Your guess may be better but...
Respectfully
~Richard
Hydroforming was another technique which may have been used with the same result from the same mold.

That guy was at the shaving collectibles gathering in west Chester Oh. He was a really nice guy and he sells his razors under the name hecklerfr on eBay. Most of them are ones he has doubles of I think, but you can pick up some good ones sometimes from him.

Turned out beautiful. The orange/brown really glows, looks so crisp, for lack of better description.

Sounds like a great experience. Nice to know Straight Razor Hot Rodders have been around, well, longer than Hot Rods.

Thanks also lightening the guilt that can be felt ditching banged up "original" scales. I realize scales probably were replaced many times before I'm the new owner, but hearing anecdotes like this is comforting.

Wow! he sure had some great looking scales it was great that you cleaned the blades up some too it would have been sinful to clean the scales up that nice and put an old rusted blade back into those scales. It's too bad he doesn't use the razors seems like he is missing out but to each his own I guess.

Very cool. The one set of sterling scales I have handled were also lightweight and very thin, but curved to look more substantial than they were.

I wonder how many of those "other guys" are out there

Sorry to pick this thread up late.
Those are just some breath taking scales and blades!
I would hazard to say that the sterling scales are done by repousse.
Repousse is a process where you take several different types of punches and forms and hammers and sculpt a design into the metal. The metal is usually embedded in a base of pitch or some other semi hard material. Then the artist hammers in the design on the metal, releases the metal and then turns it over and finishes the hammering and sets the final detail work.
It's kind of like leather working/sculpting except most of it is done from the backside of the piece and in reverse.
I've played with repousse a bit, and it's not near as easy as one might think. :)
thanks again for the pics Glen! Totally awesome job!