Thread: Scale Material Preferences Changing?

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

Attachment 297963

This is my Snail Forge 9/8 monster, Brunos razors are not what you call "typical form", they are very modern designs. I think the Kirinite scales look amazing. Same scales on a 1850s Sheffield?...

I think that looks sharp. A lot of folks have commented that Kirinite would be an option on new blades and most of the crew here are more focused on vintage straights. The data from my original post was geared around new blades.

Kirinite is in the acrylic family. It's the highest quality acrylic I have come by.

Originally Posted by ppetresen

I use hard oily woods exclusively right now. I always do a CA finish on them, which is a lot of work and so much can go wrong so quickly, so I've been considering trying out a g10 or a synthetic ivory of some kind. Always steered cleer of bone and horn though, so no real experience or interest there.

The have some really nice synthetic ivory on the market now that has both the grain and end grain of ivory.

I've worked with G10 a lot and here is my take. I only use it when I have no other choice, which is doing liners for scales where the scale material is somewhat fragile and needs support.

The reason I don't like it is because the dust is really toxic - quality respirator required, it will make you itch like fiberglass, so long sleeves with rubber bands on them and gloves are required, and it's hard on machinery and tools. It will wear a band saw blade or belt sander belt down to nothing in no time flat. The same thing it does to them, it does to the internal parts on equipment.

I have some G10 scales that I like. However, I don't like them any better than Micarta, horn, bone or nice wood.

Originally Posted by Pete123

The have some really nice synthetic ivory on the market now that has both the grain and end grain of ivory.

I've worked with G10 a lot and here is my take. I only use it when I have no other choice, which is doing liners for scales where the scale material is somewhat fragile and needs support.

The reason I don't like it is because the dust is really toxic - quality respirator required, it will make you itch like fiberglass, so long sleeves with rubber bands on them and gloves are required, and it's hard on machinery and tools. It will wear a band saw blade or belt sander belt down to nothing in no time flat. The same thing it does to them, it does to the internal parts on equipment.

I have some G10 scales that I like. However, I don't like them any better than Micarta, horn, bone or nice wood.

Thanks for this info! I've heard good things about the Elforyn synthetic ivory, or were you referring to something else? Liners too is something I've never actually used but think look amazing, besides a great way to strengthen out the scales.

Originally Posted by MikeT

A 1911 with some kind of ironwood.. Hmmm

I was given a relatively large block of ironwood to play around with. Really interesting stuff, and beautiful when you sand it down, but you also have to be careful not to let it get too hot. Plus, holy crow, does dull things! It's one wood that I never apply a finish too and just let it sit as it is.

I don't know much about the synthetic ivory. The material that has accurate end grain is $50 or so for a set of blanks.

Masecraft has synthetic ivory in the sizes we would need and the reviews are good. At this pricing it probably doesn't have the end grain, though I don't know how important that is.

Alternative Ivory col.849/TM

USA Knifemaker has the endgrain I think. Here is the link, though my Mac won't open their website. Make sure they have sufficient length as the knife scales often aren't long enough.

https://usaknifemaker.com/resin-ivor...x-5-block.html

@pete123 the imitation ivory from masecraft is a nic3 material to use I use th3 1/8” as a base for scales, it doesn’t act like acrylic and is a bit more flexible, but easy to sand & cracks like real ivory if over peened unfortunately
It does have a flairly straight grain like a wood but not the Criss cross end grain of some natural ivory
This is a resent rescale of a shavette in the imitation ivory
Not the best pics

When I first got into this the plethora of wood options tantalized me. Over time, possibly because the originals didnt use wood, my interest in wood has waned and I find I'm into bone and horn. Like others the multicolored plastics turn me off except on the modern razors where they seem to fit.