Straightening horn was a topic recently. It usually seems to surface at some point. Straightening them with the use of steam or boiling water, clamping overnight , flat plates in an oven and letting them cool etc.etc. are the usual methods suggested. I don't have time for that.
It seldom works.
i got this F. Reynolds in with faux Tortoise wedge less scales to restore. This will serve as a decent example of how using just heat can solve its issues.
This is also a good example simply because since they are translucent, and the fact that very little sanding/polishing can be done to them eliminates any chance I'd have of covering up an "OOPS" with sanding and polishing as I could on say a piece of black horn. There I could burn a section, sand it polish it and you'd never know the difference .
Here there is no room to fudge the results and fool you . It would show up in a heart beat.
Here is the razor. Basically in nice condition but as seems to always be the case the scales are twisted all over the place. Blade hits the scale. The warp is so bad it separates the wedge area. ( the wedge is cut into the scales) and they bow across their length.
In the 3rd shot notice the pin is still in place as the razor hasn't been broken down yet the wedge has pulled apart because of the warping.
in the 4th pic the razor is apart and I'm holding the wedge end together as it should be. The scales just splay way too much because of the warps. Some of this is due to the wedge design but the warp just in front of the " wedge" is causing problems.
In the last shot the outside surface of the scales should be straight. It's not. That's where I'll concentrate the heat for a localized bend. And then I'll take the bow out of each of the scales.
It seldom works.
i got this F. Reynolds in with faux Tortoise wedge less scales to restore. This will serve as a decent example of how using just heat can solve its issues.
This is also a good example simply because since they are translucent, and the fact that very little sanding/polishing can be done to them eliminates any chance I'd have of covering up an "OOPS" with sanding and polishing as I could on say a piece of black horn. There I could burn a section, sand it polish it and you'd never know the difference .
Here there is no room to fudge the results and fool you . It would show up in a heart beat.
Here is the razor. Basically in nice condition but as seems to always be the case the scales are twisted all over the place. Blade hits the scale. The warp is so bad it separates the wedge area. ( the wedge is cut into the scales) and they bow across their length.
In the 3rd shot notice the pin is still in place as the razor hasn't been broken down yet the wedge has pulled apart because of the warping.
in the 4th pic the razor is apart and I'm holding the wedge end together as it should be. The scales just splay way too much because of the warps. Some of this is due to the wedge design but the warp just in front of the " wedge" is causing problems.
In the last shot the outside surface of the scales should be straight. It's not. That's where I'll concentrate the heat for a localized bend. And then I'll take the bow out of each of the scales.
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