Got suckered into a restoration project...
Ok guys here goes. Basically I got hosed on an eBay special by a seller who stated
Quote:
All items are sold as is so please read the description and ask any questions before you bid. I try to describe every little detail an any imperfection that i can see on all items.
And then described my purchase
Quote:
Here is an old J A Henckels Twin Works straight razor. Razor reads J A Henckels Twin Works Solingen. Germany, other side reads Twins. Handle is plastic but looks like wood with decretive metal piece on bottom. Handle is 5 1/8" long. Blade is 5 1/4" long. Actual razor part is 2 5/8" long. The blade is very sharp.
Razor needs to be cleaned up and polished.
And included the following photo
http://i2.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/85/a3/2639_1.JPG
Well I received my blade today via USPS in a timely manner and when i opened the thing up this is what I bought.
http://gawkerweb.com/hosed001.JPG
http://gawkerweb.com/hosed002.JPG
http://gawkerweb.com/hosed003.JPG
I'm actually rather pleased with the condition of the blade itself, it's got a little bit of polishing to be done but the edge is straight and the heel and toe even look like they'll both hone up well, even with MY honing skills without any trouble. The scales on the other hand are warped terribly, they seem to be peeling (wtf celluloid PEELS?) and the little Twins bolsters on the bottom look like they have been peeled away from the scales (not removed) and then pressed back into place so they don't sit flush and are pretty bent up.
Obviously, the scales are junk and I'm going to have to replace them. I mean no sense wasting a PERFECTLY good JA Henckels blade now is there? So I guess what I'd like to know is this. Are there patterns for making scales that I can simply download, print out, tape to my stock, and cut away the rest? I'm sure there's plenty of other questions that will come up along the way but for now that will get me started so I can start hunting for new material to make the scales from.
BTW the selling price was WAY too high for scales in this condition but I'm consoling myself with the fact that the blade is in great shape. Licking my wounds is a sour business :(