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A new project...

Oh, Cracks and pin holes can be filled with horn dust, Save the dust when you sand over a cookie sheet . Fill a hole or crack with horn dust and place a drop or two of CA glue on the pile of dust.

Spray with CA kicker wait a minute and sand smooth the defect will disappear. Sand to 1k and buff with Green Stainless compound and a sewn wheel, or any good metal polish Mass, or Autosol with a paper towel to make them shine like glass.
 
Here is a Satin edge I bought a couple weeks ago for $5. The blade is toast, I bought it just for the bolsters, they will clean up just fine.

It is the clear translucent not as volatile as the Cracked Ice but still dangerous. As you can see it ate this blade, it would never hold an edge.
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FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Ugh. Almost criminal my friend. Sad indeed. At least you will have saved what you could.
 
Here is a Satin edge I bought a couple weeks ago for $5. The blade is toast, I bought it just for the bolsters, they will clean up just fine.

It is the clear translucent not as volatile as the Cracked Ice but still dangerous. As you can see it ate this blade, it would never hold an edge.

Wow. I'm really glad I got that blade out of there and salvaged right away!
 
Here is what happens with cell rot and a prime example this is a dubl duck wonderedge with cell rot

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Yes I bought that razor above just for the inlays this next razor is when it has fully gone bad this is a very good example of cell rot in its advanced stage

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This is my razor just starting cell rot

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And I was very lucky as mine started getting the rust spots I polished the blade next day it was back same again the day after so I cut my losses and removed the scales and found some kirinite Pearl this is my razor now minus the Celluloid scales but dressed in kirinite Pearl without the inlays for now until I get time to make a second set for the inlays then it will be very close to how it was when original but with a modern twist

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this is the scales on a test fitting of the inlays still need more work before it ready to fix the inlays

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FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Here is what happens with cell rot and a prime example this is a dubl duck wonderedge with cell rot

View attachment 1318322View attachment 1318323

Yes I bought that razor above just for the inlays this next razor is when it has fully gone bad this is a very good example of cell rot in its advanced stage

View attachment 1318327

This is my razor just starting cell rot

View attachment 1318328View attachment 1318329

And I was very lucky as mine started getting the rust spots I polished the blade next day it was back same again the day after so I cut my losses and removed the scales and found some kirinite Pearl this is my razor now minus the Celluloid scales but dressed in kirinite Pearl without the inlays for now until I get time to make a second set for the inlays then it will be very close to how it was when original but with a modern twist

View attachment 1318334View attachment 1318335View attachment 1318336

this is the scales on a test fitting of the inlays still need more work before it ready to fix the inlays

View attachment 1318337
What a PITY those examples show! Incredible.
 
Well, this "little project" just got way more...involved!

Got a surprise box this morning from the mailman. And it's from the same friend who sent me this razor. There's a note at the top of the box, and it reads:

Code:
Hey Phil,

This is my, now your, collection of STR8's. There was a time when I collected, loved, used and fawned over these but that time has passed. I have two here that I'm keeping, my Dovo and Puma and I'm gifting these to you. I think they'll be better in your hands, you're at a place I was once was and you'll enjoy them. They've been sitting in a drawer here unloved and that's just not right now, is it? :)

There's a genuine DoubleDuck in here, I didn't think it was in good enough shape to send the first time but after seeing what you've done with the other one I'm confident you can fully restore it, and maybe some of the others to their former glory. If I'm not mistaken I've shaved at least once with each of these. Some the blades were awful, others I just didn't like the weight or balance. I'm sure you can find something that suits you.

Some quick questions:

Obviously, the real Duble Duck has the same problematic celluloid handles. Do I need to isolate it from the others? Is cell rot "contagious" in close proximity? Do any others like like they have problematic handles? I thought at least one other looked like it has the same type of structure to it.

Is there anything there I shouldn't touch because it's too valuable in its current state?

What the heck is that tiny hook-shaped one at the end?
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Yes, unfortunately it has early signs of cell rot. Once the cracked Ice scales turn yellow it is advanced.

I have seen a single case of Cell rot razor, rust everything in a display case that contains metal, in 3 months. It is a gas and if the gas is contained and in the right conditions, (enclosed, heat and moisture) the exact conditions of an Antique Store Display Case, it can spread quickly.

You may be able to save the blade, and certainly the bolsters, brass is unaffected except for tarnish. I don’t see any razor there that is super rare, though the photos are not all that clear. Value is all about condition. If they were stored with the Duck most of the rust could be from off gassing.

000 steel wool and WD40 will get most of the rust off quickly and save them. Cell rot seems most active in only some flavors, designs, Cracked ice (like you white one), translucent, faux tortoise and faux ivory. Yellow- and cream-colored scales and most all the Beau Brummel, Dubl Duck line, but it is not just those lines. Something about how they were made, the formulation of the Celluloid causes them to kick off. Black celluloid rarely kicks off.

Horn is the easiest material to make scales from and is very forgiving, if you remove too much it can be “patched” with horn dust and CA glue, under a bolster it will never be seen. Fitting a scale with fancy bolsters is tedious and the bolsters are very thin and fragile. If you mis-shape them it will be even more difficult to fit them properly.

Horn Duck’s with bolsters and badging look very good.
 
The gentleman did indicate that most of them were "pretty ugly" when he got them. From what I gathered, most of them came from eBay, and he actually shaved with most of them just once to see if he liked them.

For now, I've taken the DD out of the box and left it on a shelf in my shop (wide open). I don't imagine it can affect anything in a large open room?

Do you just give up on these entirely, and save the bolsters and chuck the scales altogether and make new scales if you can refurbish the blade (like I'm about to do for the Henckels blade that was in the incorrect DD scales that started ask this!)?

Is there any "celluloid test" to know which ones to eliminate the scales on?
 
Do you just give up on these entirely, and save the bolsters and chuck the scales altogether and make new scales if you can refurbish the blade (like I'm about to do for the Henckels blade that was in the incorrect DD scales that started ask this!)?

Ignore this part, you've already answered that:


You do not want to save the scales or the wedge, wedges were celluloid also, they will contaminate and eat any steel stored near it. Take a good tracing with the pinholes marked and get rid of them quick.

If you suspect cell rot, remove the scales to save a blade. If the blade is badly pitted, it may never hold an edge.
 
You might be able to save that blade, hard to say from these photos, you will lose some width at the edge and you may have some pitting that will remain.

The sooner you get it off the scales, the better your chances. File off the pins at the pivot, then put a piece of electrical tape over the wedge pin and file flat. Center punch the flat pin with a sharp punch. Then, drill with a single flute center drill, not a twist drill.
 
Not sure why I need to be so careful for scales that'll end up in the garbage!

For the first one, I just cut them off with some flush cutters, filled off any burrs, and tapped the pins off.

Seemed to work well.
 
“Not sure why I need to be so careful for scales that'll end up in the garbage!”

To save the bolsters, so they can be attached to the new scales. They are very thin and easily damaged. If you bend, kink or scratch them, difficult to repair.
 
“Not sure why I need to be so careful for scales that'll end up in the garbage!”

To save the bolsters, so they can be attached to the new scales. They are very thin and easily damaged. If you bend, kink or scratch them, difficult to repair.

Gotcha. I have the set off the other scales all polished up and ready to go, just have to actually remove them.
 
OK. We now have two sets of celluloid scales in the garbage, two set of polished bolsters ready to go, and some dimensions if I want to make scales that match the correct DDs one exactly. We also have fingers with some leftover dissolved formerly celluloid! By pure dumb luck, I barely had a few drops of acetone left in the bottle, so I was thankful for how well it worked.

I also ran the scales under hot water for a while to try to detect the smell they allegedly can give off, to also do the same to the other light coloured razors in the new stash. I took out all the razors that showed oxidation on the blades under where the scales were. Surprise, surprise, it's the three light coloured ones. One has a crack (the "Perfection" by "Jones Bros & Co, Toronto) one has initials engraved in the scale (the H. Boker and Co Soligen "King Cutter"), and the third is also cracked (on the back side) and, quite frankly, hideous anyway (the H. Boker & Co. "Red Injun No. 301 R.P.. Don't get me going on that name!)

The last one is the only one with some more serious oxidation. I think just to be safe, I'll pull the scales off of those, trace them (unless they're on that list of scales), and chuck them/isolate them elsewhere while I wait to do the blades some other time.

Now that the acetone is all evaporated, I can light that cigar I came in the shop with.

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In the mean time, I had some questions about the Le Grelot with the weird aluminium scales (see this thread.)

So now that blade is ready to go. I now have to make at least 2 sets of scales, 3 if I salvage the Dubl Duck blade, which I think should be possible.
 
Duck blades are shavers, worth a try. Set the bevel before you invest a lot of time on the razor.

It can be challenging, to fit the scale to the bolsters, a clay mold, and a pair of inexpensive contour gage helps a lot, so you can measure both axis and compare as you adjust.
 
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