"New" Razor Scale Questions

[Steve56]

Folks,

I need some help with scales. My "new" razor is a nice Le Jaguar Systematique, NIB, never been honed and rust/"patina" free. Nice! So far.

One scale is a "bit" warped apparently where they pressed the cheesy logo into the scale. It's badly warped (see image #2), enough to pull the wedge in enough where the end of the blade (not the edge though), can very lightly touch it. In spite of this, the blade closes and with normal care does not hit the scales.

I've had other razors with scales warped in and thought of putting something like a small piece of bubble wrap between them to apply pressure and put them in the sun for a while. Most of this age are celluloid or cellulose I think. I don't think I've ever seen bone or horn warped this sharply.

But another question. This is likely a 1950's or maybe early 1960's French razor, what are the chances the scales are real tortoise? I ask because however unlikely it would affect how I manage the problem - in house versus professional help. I've read some threads on identifying tortoise. I don't want to do the hot pin test, though I could. There are no sharp distinctions in the colored splotches, all edges are diffuse. The shapes have a cloud-like or smoke-like structure. The attached third photo shows the structure through both scales against a light. From reading, I understand tortoise is in any case "thermoplastic" which is how they make those hair picks, so maybe the improvised spreader wedge and sunlight is still a good first option?

Any advice is welcome and greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Gamma]

For plastics, I might try a wedge type of thing on the inside and a blow drier.
gently working it further and further along. Never forcing it is key.
Might work. Plastics are weird, esp older plastics. Gotta be gentle with the wedge and the heat.

If they're real shell - steam can work wonders for shaping but I think unpinning them would be called for.

 

[Steve56]

Ahh. Steam. I hadn't thought of that yet. Maybe try a light wedge and light steam to see how or if they respond...

Thanks! Steve

For plastics, I might try a wedge type of thing on the inside and a blow drier.
gently working it further and further along. Never forcing it is key.
Might work. Plastics are weird, esp older plastics. Gotta be gentle with the wedge and the heat.

If they're real shell - steam can work wonders for shaping but I think unpinning them would be called for.

 

[Steve56]

Oh and I completely forgot there was a postcard order confirmation associated with the razor date 3/31/1955.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Steve56]

Keith,

Steam from a teakettle and a "spreader" worked! Followed by cooling in running tap water. The attached out of focus image shows the inside "run" of the scales very close to correct. The unsymmetrical low area on the outside of the bottom scale is the pressed in logo. I also tried steam on a hardware razor with I assume, celluloid scales, and while it helped, nothing like the Le Jaguar - that was a major movement.

Cheers, Steve

 

[totorlekiller]

To assess if it is tortoise vs. plastic, you can try buffing it gently with a very thin-grained sand paper. Something like 600.
It would clean it up and the smell might give you an indication.

 

[Gamma]

Keith,

Steam from a teakettle and a "spreader" worked! Followed by cooling in running tap water. The attached out of focus image shows the inside "run" of the scales very close to correct. The unsymmetrical low area on the outside of the bottom scale is the pressed in logo. I also tried steam on a hardware razor with I assume, celluloid scales, and while it helped, nothing like the Le Jaguar - that was a major movement.

Cheers, Steve

Nice save! Very cool - love the postcard too.