Okay, so I'm in the closing phases of my first restore, using camel bone for scales. I've sanded them down to 2000 grit and am now wondering if there's anything I should be using to seal or treat them, or are they left "as is"? Experienced restorers, what are your bone strategies?
how to finish bone scales?
- Thread starter lishijia
- Start date
Sand and polish.
I don't oil them at all as they will become almost translucent. If you oil the pivot you will also get a translucency on that area.
Pictures or it did not happen
I don't oil them at all as they will become almost translucent. If you oil the pivot you will also get a translucency on that area.
Pictures or it did not happen
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks, doc! Any polish recommendations?
Pics will come when the whole thing is put together, promise!
I already have a list of things to do differently next time around. I guess that's good, but also a bit irritating because now I only see the flaws in this one.
White rouge works just fine
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks again!
- Thread starter
- #6
Okay, I forewent the polish as I realized I simply hadn't spent enough time sanding to truly get all the scratches out at each stage. So the bone is somewhat "matte". This was definitely a learning experience. There are several things I will do differently for the next razor. But I'm not unhappy with how this turned out, given that it's a "first attempt" and that it was done without a single power tool of any kind. (Thanks to Lewis Razors for the youtube videos showing how to do scales with a minimum of toolage.)
The razor is a little known brand: Najeeb Malluk & Co. Sounds Pakistani or Turkish, but it's a Soligen (made in Germany) blade. Chose this for the etching and the fact that I teach Asian history (though in this case, "Orient" on the razor really means the Middle East more than East Asia, which is my field). Just finished honing it up, so will shave with it most likely Thursday morning.
First the original condition. It wasn't too bad, some rust, some oxidation, broken and scratched scales. Pics here are from the ebay seller's listing.
Camel bone scales, with patented "too thick" teak wedge, and put back together:
Obviously lots of faults (it's lost some of its former elegance simply because my scales are too chunky, the wedge is too thick which makes the blade sit further down than I would like, scales are too thick, their lines are not as smooth as I would like, the peening isn't perfect, the sanding isn't perfect, the clamp when glueing the wedge slid some and the end is not perfectly squared up, etc., etc., etc.). But, the blade is centered and the bone looks pretty good despite not being sanded to shiny perfection. (I don't really care for mirror finishes on blades so I wasn't even trying for that -- I just wanted the rust gone and it "cleaned up".)
Now onto the next project ... which one shall it be?
The razor is a little known brand: Najeeb Malluk & Co. Sounds Pakistani or Turkish, but it's a Soligen (made in Germany) blade. Chose this for the etching and the fact that I teach Asian history (though in this case, "Orient" on the razor really means the Middle East more than East Asia, which is my field). Just finished honing it up, so will shave with it most likely Thursday morning.
First the original condition. It wasn't too bad, some rust, some oxidation, broken and scratched scales. Pics here are from the ebay seller's listing.
Camel bone scales, with patented "too thick" teak wedge, and put back together:
Obviously lots of faults (it's lost some of its former elegance simply because my scales are too chunky, the wedge is too thick which makes the blade sit further down than I would like, scales are too thick, their lines are not as smooth as I would like, the peening isn't perfect, the sanding isn't perfect, the clamp when glueing the wedge slid some and the end is not perfectly squared up, etc., etc., etc.). But, the blade is centered and the bone looks pretty good despite not being sanded to shiny perfection. (I don't really care for mirror finishes on blades so I wasn't even trying for that -- I just wanted the rust gone and it "cleaned up".)
Now onto the next project ... which one shall it be?
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The bone is beautiful. I don't think the scales are to thick at all. Sometimes I like thin scales, but often I find that I like a little more meat to them. I have a trick I use for wedges that you might like. The wedge doesn't need to be glued at all, but a drop of glue can act as an extra hand for you during assembly so I found a way to have my cake and eat it to. I ren wax the inside of the scale before I glue the wedge in place. It holds hard enough to be the extra hand I want, but if I need to move it the ren wax acts as a release agent. A little tap and I can remove the wedge if I need to.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks for the kind encouragement, Brian! And also for the ren wax tip! I will use that for sure on the next razor.
I enjoyed this project, though in hindsight I probably should have started with wood -- bone is really hard and it took lots more effort to saw, drill, and sand than I had anticipated. Still, I learned a lot and the next will go quicker and be better, I strongly suspect.
I enjoyed this project, though in hindsight I probably should have started with wood -- bone is really hard and it took lots more effort to saw, drill, and sand than I had anticipated. Still, I learned a lot and the next will go quicker and be better, I strongly suspect.
I really like the subtle patterning of the bone and you have me thinking about a project in bone!
Good stuff man, looks nice! Did you blacken the engraved area with something?
- Thread starter
- #11
Thanks. And, nope -- no blackener used. The engraving was deep enough that my sanding (even with 220 grit) never got into the grooves. So it stayed exactly as I had hoped it would -- nice and dark.
Nice, it turned out really good!
I like my razors, like I like my women. Sharp and a handful. Very nice work.
- Thread starter
- #14
Great job for a first pair of scales and superb blade polishing !
Didn't notice if anybody mentioned it, but I put wax on bone, just to keep the bone from soaking stuff up. Carnauba is good if you have a way to apply it. But any wax will help.
This has been a big help. Thanks everyone... coming soon... more bone scales, with pics 
Any tips on how to get the stink out...? Hydrogen peroxide or...?
Nicely done. I will say that even with power tools bone is by far the most difficult material I have used...but the substantive feel and look of it is pretty amazing.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Okay, I forewent the polish as I realized I simply hadn't spent enough time sanding to truly get all the scratches out at each stage. So the bone is somewhat "matte". This was definitely a learning experience. There are several things I will do differently for the next razor. But I'm not unhappy with how this turned out, given that it's a "first attempt" and that it was done without a single power tool of any kind. (Thanks to Lewis Razors for the youtube videos showing how to do scales with a minimum of toolage.)
The razor is a little known brand: Najeeb Malluk & Co. Sounds Pakistani or Turkish, but it's a Soligen (made in Germany) blade. Chose this for the etching and the fact that I teach Asian history (though in this case, "Orient" on the razor really means the Middle East more than East Asia, which is my field). Just finished honing it up, so will shave with it most likely Thursday morning.
First the original condition. It wasn't too bad, some rust, some oxidation, broken and scratched scales. Pics here are from the ebay seller's listing.
Camel bone scales, with patented "too thick" teak wedge, and put back together:
Obviously lots of faults (it's lost some of its former elegance simply because my scales are too chunky, the wedge is too thick which makes the blade sit further down than I would like, scales are too thick, their lines are not as smooth as I would like, the peening isn't perfect, the sanding isn't perfect, the clamp when glueing the wedge slid some and the end is not perfectly squared up, etc., etc., etc.). But, the blade is centered and the bone looks pretty good despite not being sanded to shiny perfection. (I don't really care for mirror finishes on blades so I wasn't even trying for that -- I just wanted the rust gone and it "cleaned up".)
Now onto the next project ... which one shall it be?
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