Thread: Tortoise scales, Mother of Pearl Tang- Cleaning Tips & Cautions?

I just got a Shapleigh Hardware Diamond Edge Razor off of ebay that has Tortoise scales and a Mother of Pearl tang. Is there any specific recommendations for cleaning/polishing these materials? This is my first razor that I bought other than the one I got from Whipped Dog and I don't want to screw it up before I even get a chance to shave with it. It also has gold wash lettering on the blade, so I think I'm going to leave that alone for now.

Thanks

Can you post some pictures? That will help a bit. Are we talking real tortoise or the faux tortoise?

I am such a bonehead, I no more than got done posting the OP and promptly cracked the scale at the pivot pin. I feel a little sick right now.

I believe it is real tortoise, here are some pictures, albeit not very good ones.

I am guessing that I am screwed on the cracked scale from my search of the forum it sounds like a crack on the pivot side is fatal. I don't think I'm ready to attempt a rescale yet, maybe, but at this point I'm not even sure that the blade is worthy of the effort. Suggestions? The blade seems OK, but I am extremely wet behind the ears when it comes to straight razors.

If the crack seems stable and the razor still pivots properly, it's not too big a problem. But you'll definitely want to keep track of it, as it can become a safety issue. I have not had much luck trying to repair cracked pivots with glue, but there may be some other method.

I have mended some plastic scales with super glue before, but never tortoise shell. I would be hesitant to try to fix the scale while the razor is not taken apart. I would be afraid of any glue getting on the tang, or gumming up the pivot. I would suggest setting this one aside for now, and diving into restoration on an easier to fix, and less pretty, razor.

Thanks for the advice. This was supposed to be my spare razor so that I had one when I needed to send the other out for honing. That being the case I have a couple of choices as I see it, buy a new spare or get this one rescaled and honed. Just trying to weigh my options, does anybody have a rough idea how much it costs to get a basic rescale done by an expert? I'm not looking for a firm price but can somebody ballpark it for me? I'm not looking for a show piece, like I said this is really just a second razor to me, and I don't see myself doing any restorations in the near future.

Originally Posted by OsbornCox

Just trying to weigh my options, does anybody have a rough idea how much it costs to get a basic rescale done by an expert?

The best way to find out would be to send a PM to one of the guys who offers rescaling services. I believe most have ads in the Member Services section of the classifieds.