Thread: White celluloid?

Hey guys, So, I got a 6/8 top flight w/ white scales in yesterday to start working on soon. The problem...there is a weird smell coming from the scales. They are still mostly white with just barely any yellowing to the material and no brown stains, i didn't think scale rot at first just b/c I figured they were probably bakelite or some other plastic. The smell I can only describe as being musty, almost like a fungus type smell. I am at a loss, I wanted to possibly save these things, but with the slight yellowing (very slight), and the smell, I have quarantined the razor until I can figure out what I may be dealing with. Oh I almost forgot there are some very very very small places where it looks like the top layer of the material has peeled off/flaked off... Could this just be normal gassing of the material as it breaks down, or the start of cell rot? This blade is in excellent condition with perfect etching on the tang, so I am leery about leaving these scales on much longer.