Straight Razor Scale Materials And Their Construction

<h1>Straight Razor Scale Materials And Their Construction</h1>Author: <a title="Jon Harrison" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/jon-harrison/268637.htm">Jon Harrison</a> Straight Razor Scale Properties Straight Razor scales are made of various materials, including mother-of-pearl, bakelite, celluloid, bone, plastic, wood and tortoise shell. Celluloid can spontaneously combust at elevated temperatures. Buffalo horn tends to deform with time and it possesses form memory so it tends to warp. Mother of pearl is a brittle material and can exhibit cracks after some use. Plastic handles are flexible and can impact the blade if not handled carefully. To remedy this, some plastic handles have a plastic coated third pin at the center called the plug that acts as a bridge between the sides of the handle. Resin impregnated wooden handles are water resistant, do not deform and their weight complements the blade's to provide good overall balance for the razor. Snakewood is also suitable for long term and intensive use. The mechanical properties of bone make it a good handle material. Handles were once made of ivory, but this has been discontinued, though fossil ivory, such as mammoth, is still sometimes used, and antique razors with ivory scales are occasionally found (it is illegal to kill elephants for their ivory, but it is legal to buy a razor made before 1950). Straight Razor Construction Straight razors consist of a semi or full hollow-ground blade sharpened on one edge. The blade can be made of either stainless steel, which is difficult to strop and hone, albeit resistant to rust, or high-carbon steel, which is much easier to hone, but stays sharp for less time, though it will rust if neglected. At present, stainless-steelrazors are easy to find but expensive; carbon-steel razors are nearly as expensive but quite difficult to find. Fancy cutlery shops in shopping malls will often tell a customer that carbon-steelrazors are no longer made, but they are in fact still being made, and are available on the Internet. The blade rotates on a pin through its tang between two protective pieces called scales: when folded into the scales, the blade is protected from accidental damage, and the user is protected from accidental injury. Handle scales are made of various materials, including mother-of-pearl, celluloid, bone, plastic and wood. They were once made of ivory, but this has been discontinued, though fossil ivory is still sometimes used, and antiquerazors with ivory scales are occasionally found (it is illegal to kill elephants for their ivory, but it is legal to buy a razor made in 1850).About the Author: At the Straight Razor Collector you will find the latest contemporary, antique and vintage <a href="http://www.straight-razor-collector.com">straight razors</a> for you to collect, restore and enjoy.
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Straight Razor Scale Properties

Straight Razor scales are made of various materials, including mother-of-pearl, bakelite, celluloid, bone, plastic, wood and tortoise shell. Celluloid can spontaneously combust at elevated temperatures. Buffalo horn tends to deform with time and it possesses form memory so it tends to warp. Mother of pearl is a brittle material and can exhibit cracks after some use.

Plastic handles are flexible and can impact the blade if not handled carefully. To remedy this, some plastic handles have a plastic coated third pin at the center called the plug that acts as a bridge between the sides of the handle.

Resin impregnated wooden handles are water resistant, do not deform and their weight complements the blade's to provide good overall balance for the razor. Snakewood is also suitable for long term and intensive use.

The mechanical properties of bone make it a good handle material. Handles were once made of ivory, but this has been discontinued, though fossil ivory, such as mammoth, is still sometimes used, and antique razors with ivory scales are occasionally found (it is illegal to kill elephants for their ivory, but it is legal to buy a razor made before 1950).

Straight Razor Construction

Straight razors consist of a semi or full hollow-ground blade sharpened on one edge. The blade can be made of either stainless steel, which is difficult to strop and hone, albeit resistant to rust, or high-carbon steel, which is much easier to hone, but stays sharp for less time, though it will rust if neglected.

At present, stainless-steelrazors are easy to find but expensive; carbon-steel razors are nearly as expensive but quite difficult to find. Fancy cutlery shops in shopping malls will often tell a customer that carbon-steelrazors are no longer made, but they are in fact still being made, and are available on the Internet.

The blade rotates on a pin through its tang between two protective pieces called scales: when folded into the scales, the blade is protected from accidental damage, and the user is protected from accidental injury. Handle scales are made of various materials, including mother-of-pearl, celluloid, bone, plastic and wood.

They were once made of ivory, but this has been discontinued, though fossil ivory is still sometimes used, and antiquerazors with ivory scales are occasionally found (it is illegal to kill elephants for their ivory, but it is legal to buy a razor made in 1850).

At the Straight Razor Collector you will find the latest contemporary, antique and vintage straight razors for you to collect, restore and enjoy.

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Article Tags: Health, Groom, Grooming, Shaving, Shave, Skin, Wellbeing, Mens Health, Razor, Straight Razor, Straight Razors, Vintage Straight Razor, Collecting Straight Razor, Straight Razor Maintenance, Razor Care, Restore Straight Razor

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