Thread: Otto Hans repair.......

So I scored a razor off the bay knowing it had this crack and had all plans on having it rescaled BUT the crack isn't as bad as I thought it is a parallel crack at the pivot pin which really hasn't seemed to loosen the pivot in any way...now I know it is ultimately a if it's worth it to me type of question to ask would you get it rescaled so instead I am wondering what the long term effects of just leaving it be would be. Like I said the blade is still tight and center in the scales so it isn't an issue in that regard I'm just wondering if leaving it will cause more problems in the future. Other than the crack the razor is beautiful and i got it for a song compared to what these have been going for!! Thanks guys!!

My personal preference , unless the razor has plain Jane generic scales, is to leave them original unless function is compromised. A crack at the pivot can be a problem if it loosens up when stropping or honing, if not when shaving. With fancy scales such as those on a Deutsch I would opt to leave them as long as the blade doesn't begin to loosen up in the pivot. That is as long as the cosmetic aspect doesn't bother you. Just IMHO.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

My personal preference , unless the razor has plain Jane generic scales, is to leave them original unless function is compromised. A crack at the pivot can be a problem if it loosens up when stropping or honing, if not when shaving. With fancy scales such as those on a Deutsch I would opt to leave them as long as the blade doesn't begin to loosen up in the pivot. That is as long as the cosmetic aspect doesn't bother you. Just IMHO.

+1 with the
additional note that I decide after cleaning and honing
followed by a shave test... If the razor is a good one
then decide. Also there are some $15 scales out there that
can be used short term and after you decide on the true
value of the blade you can invest more, a lot more
and everything in between.

The Celluloid scales that are on the Otto lends itself well to what is called an Acetone weld, (some people swear by this stuff called MEK I haven't tried it) Just use a small wire and let a drop of Acetone wick into the crack... Hold it tight for about 1 minute then rinse with water...
The worst that can happen is you have to replace the scales anyway, the best that can happen is that the scales are fixed with a near invisible weld that actually holds pretty darn well...

Warning to others reading this Acetone/MEK welding doesn't actually work very often, there are many different formulas that were used to make scales and only some work... Most of the time people use too much and dissolve their scales

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The Celluloid scales that are on the Otto lends itself well to what is called an Acetone weld, (some people swear by this stuff called MEK I haven't tried it) Just use a small wire and let a drop of Acetone wick into the crack... Hold it tight for about 1 minute then rinse with water...
The worst that can happen is you have to replace the scales anyway, the best that can happen is that the scales are fixed with a near invisible weld that actually holds pretty darn well...

Warning to others reading this Acetone/MEK welding doesn't actually work very often, there are many different formulas that were used to make scales and only some work... Most of the time people use to much and dissolve their scales

You want me to send you ANOTHER razor to work on glen??? Hahahaha ;-)

I have seen Ottos rescaled where all the fancy metal work is retained. This can be charming in its own right, but I imagine that work is pricey. Since I identify the Deutsch so much with the metal work, short of a major restoration rescaling I would want to leave it alone as long as it was useable.