Celluloid still used as a knife scale material.... I am kinda surprised....

[2Dead]

I'd consider mammoth ivory to have been well and truly carried by now.I doubt if I 'll make a difference to it.
Like wise with the its so expensive I don't want to risk losing, dropping, scratching or besmirching it in some way.
But hey -its off a mammoth and that's a big hairy elephant from the past ,right?

For mammoth, sure. The one I posted in the other thread was elephant that I believe was taken before WWI (IIRC). The #85 was interior so it's only been exposed to the elements since it was cut and put on the knife. I have a #68 with exterior ivory that is yellowed but that's to be expected for 100+ year old ivory no?

 

[Bob W]

What's difficult to understand, there seems to be quite a difference between qualities of celluloid, and how ironic that so much of the new stuff deteriorates quickly while there are thousands and thousands of vintage knives showing no problems whatsoever, even after 70+ years.

Handles from 2004 already shrinking? Unacceptable.

Well, at least it's job security for all of the knife re-handlers out there.

I just can't get into the new acrylics. The best old celluloid patterns have depth and feel 'alive', even seeming to glow. The new stuff looks dead and plasticky by comparison.

The real deal:

 

[knarfeng]

I'm new to this forum but have been collecting celluloid fountain pens from the 30's and 40's for 35 years now.

Celluloid is still used to make certain limited edition and high end fountain pens because no other materials perfectly replicate the depth of color, marbling and pearlescence of nitrocellulose plastic. The good news is that, properly cured, nitrocellulose generally lasts at least 40 years. When I first started collecting, many nitrocellulose pens had discoloration and some had shrinking, but very few were deteriorating--crazing, going transparent, cracking and crumbling--as some are now.

Quarantining the bad ones is now commonly done with pens. It is believed that exposure to the sulphur in rubber accelerates the decline. UV light exposure and high humidity are also believed to be problematic, as is high heat. Outgassing definitely affects neighboring celluloid, as well as base metal. (since most quality pens have gold nibs and gold-filled hardware, corrosion is less of an issue than with knives, but it's interesting to note that in the pen world, most people think that the typical corrosion on chrome and rhodium plated fittings is due to poor original quality, rather than outgassing).

The other big culprit is manufacturers who failed to properly cure the celluloid, which could require months and high heat. These problems persist for some modern celluloid pen manufacturers. But I'm happy to report that most celluloid pens did not start deteriorating before the 1980s, meaning that they were good for 50 or so years.

I have a new celluloid pen that I purchased in 1993, manufactured by a pen company that had been making this plastic since the 30's. It is still perfect and going strong. If it lasts me for another 20 years or so, I will consider it money well spent. It will outlast the many cheap imitations being cranked out today.

I hope this was new information from another collecting realm that may be helpful here. There is some technology to fuse cracks, but everyone considers the deterioration, once it starts, to be irreparable--and unstoppable.

That is good information. Welcome aboard!

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Thanks to all for such great info on this subject
A few months around here, and one can certainly become pretty knife savy

 

[GronK]

Celluloid has been used in many products, guitar pick guards and toilet seats among them.
Among vintage guitar fans it is often referred to as "mother of toilet seat".

 

[akadave2]

Gibson, the guitar maker, still uses NitroCellulose Laquer on most of their guitars, its not the same ol Nitro laquer of old, it has plasticisers in it that make it far more stable and less suceptable to checking and shrinkage. Im betting the same is done with all Celluloid materials.

 

[wlfryjr]

Case Classics made in the 1990's used celluloid, and some flavors gas out quite frequently. Almost every candystripe handle I see, I can see the start of it. There are a few other flavors that are pretty consistent gassers, but the candystripe gets my vote as the worst.

Also Bluegrass Winchesters,Fight'n Roosters,Buck Creeks,and as mentioned Bulldogs all have bad gassers among modern day knives.

 

[zippofan]

Celluloid has been used in many products, guitar pick guards and toilet seats among them.
Among vintage guitar fans it is often referred to as "mother of toilet seat".

Heh, MOTS, my buddy has a vintage Silvertone with one of those pick guards

IIRC, Fender picks are still made of celluloid, both the tortoise shell and the "clown barf" ones. Found out about how violently they burn when one of our guitar players left a pick in an ash tray once. Gives pause to think about how many items were made out of celluloid that are flammable like that.
It makes me wonder why, when I have yet to see a bag full of my 30 year old pick change in any way, that recently made cell knife handles are gassing out

 

[knarfeng]

It makes me wonder why, when I have yet to see a bag full of my 30 year old pick change in any way, that recently made cell knife handles are gassing out

The knife handles I have seen outgassing are more than 30 years old. I have a peanut that is about 80 years old (It belonged to my wife's father) and it is only now starting to outgas.

 

[akadave2]

Heh, MOTS, my buddy has a vintage Silvertone with one of those pick guards

IIRC, Fender picks are still made of celluloid, both the tortoise shell and the "clown barf" ones. Found out about how violently they burn when one of our guitar players left a pick in an ash tray once. Gives pause to think about how many items were made out of celluloid that are flammable like that.
It makes me wonder why, when I have yet to see a bag full of my 30 year old pick change in any way, that recently made cell knife handles are gassing out

Old celluloid billiard balls used to explode

 

[r8shell]

Old celluloid billiard balls used to explode

It used to be a mean practical joke to touch the lit tip of one's cigar to one's friend's celluloid collar. It would burn off in a flash.