Thread: new re scale project

hey everyone i just picked up a straight razor at a flea market and it needs a new handle i took the old one off because it was broken and couldn't be repaired. my first question is what should i do for the handle should i get a pre cut and drilled handle or should i go find some nice wood and do a custom set of scales and clear coat them. second question is i have looked all over for info on this and can't seem to find who made this razor. All i know is it has majestic etched on the blade and made in england on the tang. I'm just curious as to how good of a deal i got on this and if it's possibly collectable if not it will be used as a daily shaver.

Looks like a nice blade to me... I'd clean/polish 'er up, get the scales on, hone it an use it without a second thought. Without the original scales it is probably going to lean heavily into the "User" category. There may be a few out there that simply collect/display but I think most people would be itching so bad to try it out that this would be an exercise in frustration. You can, however, just hone a blade after a brief/light wipe-down and leave the patina intact as a User. That would give you an idea of how it shaves and fit your needs before going through all the full clean/polish. But, if you chose to do that I'd still polish up the area around the pivot as you wouldn't want to pop your razor just to get to that area... It is already apart so that is a huge benefit.

At first, when I popped and re-pinned I always used a set of donor scales from a broken razor. I just recently worked with a Mentor on building my first set of scales out of cherry wood and they are beautiful! His process is to use layers of CA followed by progressive sanding to give the finish depth and they come out beautifully that way.

I guess it all depends on personal preference really... I've heard testimony on both sides about wood and it seems there is strong indication that it does not warp/cause issues if finished properly.

Something else to consider if your previous scales were just cracked rather than shattered... You can use them to trace prior to laying the sketch down on your new scale material... That worked better IMO because the scales I was able to sketch freehand looked an awful lot like an axe handle. But, if you have an Art background/any talent at all, really,,. You are way ahead of me!

Shawn
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I say make your own custom scales. I started restoring my first razor and am enjoying making my own scales. You can find many scale templates in PDF format from the post below:

Came Across Original Scale Design pdf today