How to Identify Celluloid Scales

[duke762]

Any way to tell if you have celluloid scales? If they are in good shape are they ok or should they be replaced as a preventative measure before they start to out gas?

 

[Legion]

Any way to tell if you have celluloid scales? If they are in good shape are they ok or should they be replaced as a preventative measure before they start to out gas?

If they are vintage plastic scales you can probably safely assume they are celluloid.

No reason to replace them if you see no evidence of cell rot effecting the blade. Nobody is quite sure why some celluloid starts to break down, but 99% of the scales you see out there are quite stable.

One thing to avoid is storing scales that are breaking down anywhere near razors that are good, as there is some evidence that cell rot is "contagious", and the chemical reaction that causes it can be triggered by proximity to infected celluloid.

 

[RichieP]

I hate when that out gassing happens on a really nice vintage razor. That cell rot happens real quick. I experimented with some scales that were causing rot and put them on a cheap GD razor to see how fast the blade starts to rust. In less than one night the razor started showing patches of rust.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[StellaNova]

Hello All, I came across this thread from last year while trying to find an answer to the same question as the OP.

I see that the following is the general rule:

If they are vintage plastic scales you can probably safely assume they are celluloid.

Now this may sound like a stupid question, but I have never, to the best of my knowledge, examined real bone/ivory/horn items, except for the occasional lamb chop etc.

So, short of setting them on fire to see how they combust, is there a reliable easy way to tell if a razors scales are made of celluloid ?

And what other materials could vintage razor scales be made of if they are not made from bone/ivory/horn ?

Thanks.

 

[Legion]

Hello All, I came across this thread from last year while trying to find an answer to the same question as the OP.

I see that the following is the general rule:


Now this may sound like a stupid question, but I have never, to the best of my knowledge, examined real bone/ivory/horn items, except for the occasional lamb chop etc.

So, short of setting them on fire to see how they combust, is there a reliable easy way to tell if a razors scales are made of celluloid ?

And what other materials could vintage razor scales be made of if they are not made from bone/ivory/horn ?

Thanks.

I guess it is hard to describe over the internet, but in the hand natural scales do feel quite different to plastic.

Ivory is always a lot thinner, harder, and has schreger lines if you look closely. Ivory scales usually don’t have collars or washers on the pins. Bone is similar, but might display little pores that were blood vessels.

Gutta percha is one you might come across. It’s often mistaken for Bakelite, but is earlier, and is a hard rubber. It’s like a plain black plastic.

There is genuine tortoise. That’s rare, but on some fancy old razors.

Aluminum, sterling silver. woods, obviously. I have one I think is catalin.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

I guess it is hard to describe over the internet, but in the hand natural scales do feel quite different to plastic.

Ivory is always a lot thinner, harder, and has schreger lines if you look closely. Ivory scales usually don’t have collars or washers on the pins. Bone is similar, but might display little pores that were blood vessels.

Gutta percha is one you might come across. It’s often mistaken for Bakelite, but is earlier, and is a hard rubber. It’s like a plain black plastic.

There is genuine tortoise. That’s rare, but on some fancy old razors.

Aluminum, sterling silver. woods, obviously. I have one I think is catalin.

I had not heard of gutta percha but I have an Engstrom frameback that I assume may be that. Also the Herder I bought from Griffith's was listed as hard rubber scales, and it does feel a little different from cell.

Any idea what this is? I don't own this one any more but it was a really pretty material. Razor dated from probably the late 1890s based on the stamping and etch on the other side.

 

[StellaNova]

I guess it is hard to describe over the internet, but in the hand natural scales do feel quite different to plastic.

Ivory is always a lot thinner, harder, and has schreger lines if you look closely. Ivory scales usually don’t have collars or washers on the pins. Bone is similar, but might display little pores that were blood vessels.

Gutta percha is one you might come across. It’s often mistaken for Bakelite, but is earlier, and is a hard rubber. It’s like a plain black plastic.

There is genuine tortoise. That’s rare, but on some fancy old razors.

Aluminum, sterling silver. woods, obviously. I have one I think is catalin.

Thanks for that.
Examination with high magnification can probably be used to identify natural materials.

I suppose that celluloid feels like plastic and unless the razor is a modern one, if the scales feel like plastic then they are probably celluloid.
And bakelite & gutta percha is probably more rigid than celluloid?

 

[Legion]

I had not heard of gutta percha but I have an Engstrom frameback that I assume may be that. Also the Herder I bought from Griffith's was listed as hard rubber scales, and it does feel a little different from cell.

Any idea what this is? I don't own this one any more but it was a really pretty material. Razor dated from probably the late 1890s based on the stamping and etch on the other side.
View attachment 1350319

I’d guess that is celluloid. It was invented before the 1890’s. I’ve seen fountain pens that look similar.

 

[Legion]

Thanks for that.
Examination with high magnification can probably be used to identify natural materials.

I suppose that celluloid feels like plastic and unless the razor is a modern one, if the scales feel like plastic then they are probably celluloid.
And bakelite & gutta percha is probably more rigid than celluloid?

Yes, a little. Removing GP scales can be tricky, because they are prone to break.