I'm looking to restore, rather than replace, the horn scales of a vintage razor. I've played with the idea of re-scaling but something in me feels like it would be a crime. However, the horn is very worn and is starting to flake and break. What are the ways to restore vintage horn scales and do you have any recommendations for who could do this?
Restore vintage scales?
- Thread starter PWJ
- Start date
Pics
Remove. Straighten. Sand. Oil. Maybe wax.
Need more info. Pics please.
Remove. Straighten. Sand. Oil. Maybe wax.
Need more info. Pics please.
You can try soaking the scales in neats foot oil for a couple of days. Sand them lightly and polish.
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- #5
- Thread starter
- #6
Sounds like a plan. Unfortunately, I don't even know how to remove or reattach these scales.
Those are not that bad, have seen and repaired much worst.
The delamination can easily be repaired with horn dust and CA, super glue.
Hard to tell from the photo how bad the delamination is. If just split, glue with CA and clamp/ wedge the delamination closed. If needed fill any holes with horn dust and CA.
Sand with 600 grit wet and dry, sand over a clean cookie sheet and collect all the horn dust. Finish sand with 1000 grit.
Place the whole razor in a Zip lock bag and add a couple ounces of Neetsfoot oil. The oil will not harm the blade and will rehydrate the wood. Let it soak for 2 days to a couple weeks.
Wipe off well and let dry a couple days, then re-sand with 1000 grit until they are smooth, be careful around the pins, 000 and 0000 steel wool will polish the pins and the horn around them.
Polish with any good metal polish, Maas, Mothers, Autosol or Semi Chrome. Buff to a high sheen with paper towels.
You can touch up any lite areas, edges with a black sharpie or shoe dye and re polish. Make a sanding stick, to get between the scales, glue 600 w&d to a stick.
Horn is very repairable and easy to work with. For the best repair un-pinning and a full repair is best, sanding and polish can make them like new, but many repairs can be made with the razor pinned. Neetsfoot soak will work wonders as will lite sanding and polish.
The delamination can easily be repaired with horn dust and CA, super glue.
Hard to tell from the photo how bad the delamination is. If just split, glue with CA and clamp/ wedge the delamination closed. If needed fill any holes with horn dust and CA.
Sand with 600 grit wet and dry, sand over a clean cookie sheet and collect all the horn dust. Finish sand with 1000 grit.
Place the whole razor in a Zip lock bag and add a couple ounces of Neetsfoot oil. The oil will not harm the blade and will rehydrate the wood. Let it soak for 2 days to a couple weeks.
Wipe off well and let dry a couple days, then re-sand with 1000 grit until they are smooth, be careful around the pins, 000 and 0000 steel wool will polish the pins and the horn around them.
Polish with any good metal polish, Maas, Mothers, Autosol or Semi Chrome. Buff to a high sheen with paper towels.
You can touch up any lite areas, edges with a black sharpie or shoe dye and re polish. Make a sanding stick, to get between the scales, glue 600 w&d to a stick.
Horn is very repairable and easy to work with. For the best repair un-pinning and a full repair is best, sanding and polish can make them like new, but many repairs can be made with the razor pinned. Neetsfoot soak will work wonders as will lite sanding and polish.
I’ve seen people recommend using beeswax as a final step. Any comments on that?
Bees wax will make the scales more grippy. I use bees wax on wooden tool handles for better grip. Beeswax can easily be removed with Alcohol, Acetone or WD40 and steel wool.
For horn I buff on a loose wheel buffer with Green Stainless compound and finish with Maas and unbleached paper towels.
For horn I buff on a loose wheel buffer with Green Stainless compound and finish with Maas and unbleached paper towels.
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- #11
Amazing answer. Do you provide this service? Or do you know someone/a place that does? While the method is spelled out in detail, I have no experience of this type of repair and wouldn't I want this razor to be a test subject...
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- #12
That looks great - that makes me so much more convinced about NOT re-scaling them.
Those scales look very good for their age. I would soak them in Neatsfoot oil.
I could be completely making this up but I've used Beeswax on CA finished scales before as I believe it to have anti-static properties. It won't add anything to the CA finish but I think it stops dust sticking to the scales. I've used it on horn as well for the same reason.
I've had the exact same scales with about the same condition, with a similar razor, go from this
To this
using just neatsfoot oil and sandpaper. A buffer speeds things up.
If you follow @H Brad Boonshaft's advise above you could do it without removing the scales but it would be better to take it apart.
Maybe give your general location and someone will be able to tell you if there's anyone near you that can do it if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.
@PWJ, the scales on your razor are quite nice and you don't see a lot of that style in as good shape. Would be a shame to damage them.
If you just want to restore your razor, there are guys who do this. If you want to learn how to do this yourself, it's just like anything else - easy to do once you learn how.
There are a few damaged Sheffield wedges on eBay that would be perfect for learning. I will PM you a few links.
If you just want to restore your razor, there are guys who do this. If you want to learn how to do this yourself, it's just like anything else - easy to do once you learn how.
There are a few damaged Sheffield wedges on eBay that would be perfect for learning. I will PM you a few links.
Someone else may have already said this. You could also restore the scales without removing them:
- Buy some pure neatsfoot oil.
- Douse a cotton ball with neatsfoot and apply it to the outside and inside of the scales. Don't worry about the blade. Let it soak overnight. Repeat on day 2.
- Sand (if that is the right verb) the outside and inside of the scales using 0000 and 00 steel wool.
- Wipe dry. Bounty papers towels are good for this.
- Polish with Mothers polish.
- Repeat the neatsfoot oil treatment.
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- #17
Thanks for all the replies!
While I'm tempted to follow the instructions and try it out - I'm more inclined to let somebody with experience do this. I'm based in the UK/London but wouldn't mind shipping it stateside (not in a hurry). Any recommendations for shops or people who restore scales?
I'm not completely unhandy and part of me now wants to embark on this project of doing it myself - but, realistically, doing it myself, even with a decent result, will never be as good as getting it done professionally. I'm also not a collector (at least not yet...), I only have this and a spare razor I use when travelling.
While I'm tempted to follow the instructions and try it out - I'm more inclined to let somebody with experience do this. I'm based in the UK/London but wouldn't mind shipping it stateside (not in a hurry). Any recommendations for shops or people who restore scales?
I'm not completely unhandy and part of me now wants to embark on this project of doing it myself - but, realistically, doing it myself, even with a decent result, will never be as good as getting it done professionally. I'm also not a collector (at least not yet...), I only have this and a spare razor I use when travelling.
Buy a couple of lesser horn scale razors and mess with them for practice. That is how most of us learned. If that one is very important to you, practice on something cheap.
When I first started I bought a lot of about a dozen basket case razors. Just learned by trial and error, for the most part.
Get Joseph in EdgeDynamics to do it for you. He's in the UK, has a youtube channel and is one of the best restorers in the world. Some of his blade restorations are phenomenal in the mirror finishes he gets on them. He'll also put anytype of edge on it so you'll know what a good edge is. For a blade like this I'd probably go coticule (He has a salm rock coticule) but talk to him and see what he suggests as he mostly does Jnats.
Here's a razor similar to yours although I don't know the original condition the result is very good.
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