Wooden scales Hmmm.

Big.Dave · Oct 1, 2010

Wooden scales are beautiful but are they practical. With straight razors I do not buy them as collectors items but to use them for there intended purpose. Its just my view but when I buy a straight that maybe over 140 years old but needs a rescale, wood is not my first choice because I want to put scales on it that will hopefully last another 140 years and with the warm wet enviroment that the razor will be exposed to wood does not seem to last that long.

Am I in the minority on this view or are there others out there that have been thinking the same thing?

dakotaev · Oct 1, 2010

Big.Dave said:
Wooden scales are beautiful but are they practical. With straight razors I do not buy them as collectors items but to use them for there intended purpose. Its just my view but when I buy a straight that maybe over 140 years old but needs a rescale, wood is not my first choice because I want to put scales on it that will hopefully last another 140 years and with the warm wet enviroment that the razor will be exposed to wood does not seem to last that long.

Am I in the minority on this view or are there others out there that have been thinking the same thing?

I like using wood for my scales as it's beautiful, readily available, a sustainable resource, and if treated/maintained properly should still last a very long time.

BladeRunner001 · Oct 1, 2010

Big.Dave said:
Wooden scales are beautiful but are they practical. With straight razors I do not buy them as collectors items but to use them for there intended purpose. Its just my view but when I buy a straight that maybe over 140 years old but needs a rescale, wood is not my first choice because I want to put scales on it that will hopefully last another 140 years and with the warm wet enviroment that the razor will be exposed to wood does not seem to last that long.

Am I in the minority on this view or are there others out there that have been thinking the same thing?

Treated and maintained properly, wood scales will last...not as long as synthetics, but they'll last. Over time and exposure to humidity and moisture, they will tend to rot...no matter what. Some restorers advise to shy away from wood unless you absolutely wish it.

RF1963 · Oct 1, 2010

I have a straight with rosewood scales. I wipe the razor on a towel when it becomes loaded with soap and whiskers and when I finish I wipe the blade clean on dry towel. There's never any water in contact with the scales. The bathroom environment doesn't get too humid; when I shower before shaving I open the window to stop my mirror fogging up. To be honest your concerns have never crossed my mind and now they have I'm still not worried. I'm sure the razor will outlast me (and I'm planning on being around for a long long time!)

navalha · Oct 1, 2010

I've been reading up on scales lately, so which is the best material? horns?

gull · Oct 1, 2010

navalha said:
I've been reading up on scales lately, so which is the best material? horns?

In terms of looks? Durability? Value?

Uhhhh plastic? :thumbup:

instpasr · Oct 1, 2010

I was thinking of having some scales made of carbon fiber

Luc · Oct 1, 2010

I'm not a huge fan of wood to start with but I might let myself being convinced for the next straight razor. I had one straight with wooden scales before and I sold it. I didn't like the scales, there were very light.

If you maintain them properly and they were prepared properly, I heard they can last for quite a while...

azmark · Oct 1, 2010

BladeRunner001 said:
Treated and maintained properly, wood scales will last...not as long as synthetics, but they'll last.

+1

The only wood scales I care for are ebony. Not a fan of working with them but they do look very nice.

spindlecone · Oct 1, 2010

azmark said:
+1

The only wood scales I care for are ebony. Not a fan of working with them but they do look very nice.

Look up Lignum Vitae, officional, Finest badger brush wood money can buy.
And a joy to machine.
any of you scale makers want some, let me know, have lots of scrap that would work well.

Legion · Oct 1, 2010

Wood can look nice, but for practicality you can't go past acrylic. And you have lots of scope for personalisation with colour, shape, etc that you can't do with natural materials.

I'd like to experiment with linen micarta as well.

spindlecone · Oct 2, 2010

Micarta would be drop dead perfect, have alot of experiance with it.
Comes in many diff, colors,easy to machine (I use carbide tools)
100% heat and waterproof. Just use a resperator when working with it, can be toxic.
Made these out of micarta.

Ru4scuba? · Oct 2, 2010

instpasr said:
I was thinking of having some scales made of carbon fiber

Now you're talking!

Thebigspendur · Oct 2, 2010

It's not like you are soaking the scales on a razor in water. They should stay dry. They will last plenty long. Sure over the long haul maybe 30 years or more there is a natural deterioration but personally I think they look great. Nothing lasts forever.

Nerdman · Oct 2, 2010

legion said:
Wood can look nice, but for practicality you can't go past acrylic. And you have lots of scope for personalisation with colour, shape, etc that you can't do with natural materials.

I'd like to experiment with linen micarta as well.

Ive expiremented with paper and linen micarta, it is actually very easy to do, but the casting resin i used dries a little too hard and was hard for me too sand. But im adding a bench sander to my arsenal today, so maybe I will finish them. Here is a tutorial that helped me a lot. Id be curious to see what you come up with. :thumbup1:

navalha · Oct 2, 2010

gull said:
In terms of looks? Durability? Value?

Uhhhh plastic?

Durability. I've read somewhere that horns warp over time, and that if the wood is treated properly it lasts longer.

Philadelph · Oct 2, 2010

Big.Dave said:
Wooden scales are beautiful but are they practical. With straight razors I do not buy them as collectors items but to use them for there intended purpose. Its just my view but when I buy a straight that maybe over 140 years old but needs a rescale, wood is not my first choice because I want to put scales on it that will hopefully last another 140 years and with the warm wet enviroment that the razor will be exposed to wood does not seem to last that long.

Am I in the minority on this view or are there others out there that have been thinking the same thing?

Hear, hear! I've been saying this for a looong time now, but most people tend not to care. Nowadays I like using Carbon Fiber, G10, and micartas because of the perfect functionality that they lend to straight razors (they'll last without cracking, warping, chipping, shrinking, swelling, breaking, etc.). Acrylic isn't the greatest in my opinion because it is relatively fragile in terms of breaking and stress fractures, etc.

I've had guys send me razors to rescale that had wooden scales that were moldy, warped, cracked, weathered, etc. just from the presence of moisture. Guys will continue using wood for scales, and I'll continue not to.

BillEllis · Oct 3, 2010

Depends on the wood and how it was treated. If you put oak or something similar to work as a set of scales... you should be shot. However, there are a host of other choices that are good ones.

There are some woods that are very nice to use as scale material. I'm not quite sure how everybody is getting water or shaving lather on/in/around the pivot area, but I guess we all have our own ways to shave.

Some wood is difficult to use and have it last. You have to be very careful with olivewood, for instance. It is very prone to warping and it has nothing to do with getting it wet. Sometimes, I swear, all you have to do is point the endgrain in a northern direction overnight and it will look like the rails of a coaster ride the following morning. This only happens if it gets too thin.

I treat both the inside and outside of my wood scales with a water-barrier type solution, and will often coat them in CA (super glue) as well. If the wood has been stabilized, there is little chance that water will affect them. And, I have to say, the look of natural grain in some woods is just too hard to beat sometimes.

I often use spalted woods for scales. Spalted is just another word for "rotten" However, spalted woods have some of the best figure around. I always have these types of woods stabilized first and will most likely line them with aluminum as well to give the support necessary to keep them in one piece.