Elusive Schrades

I have never seen a French Ivory (FI) gas off/decay. I have seen plain white/off-white deteriorate though.

Some day. we will see a nice, reliable acrylic version of FI - - - I hope!!
 
Whoa!!!!!

Robin :eek:, time for an extension on the family home- that family is growing!!!

Its great seeing the FI FJ with the rest - with No Bolster or Cap - it really does extenuate the shape! - really really nice Robin Sir.
 
Nice growing family of Schrade knives... you're going to need a mini van soon. ;)

I've also never seen French ivory in bad shape. How celluloid is made is one of the factors that determines its stability and might possibly explain the difference.
 
There's a test by dipping in boiling water. If it smells like formaldehyde, it's cel (or bakelite). And if it smells like something else, it's the other.
Just checked- celluloid should smell like camphor, and bakelite should smell like musty phenol, whatever that smells like. Maybe formaldehyde. Which I haven't smelled for 20 years anyway.
 
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Now there's a question.
Ivorine/French ivory/imitation ivory-y'know -that stuff.
Is it cel? or something else?
I certainly know that when cut with a dremel it stinks and little smoking comets of it go flying off.
Definitely cell Meako,you better keep water and an extinguisher handy. I know a guy that had a fairly major incident with it and he was warned.I grin great big thinking about his story.

Slow as you,keeping it cool,if you are working with it.
 
I have not seen degradation in the French Ivory knives I have. The slick black cell often seems pretty stable, as well. I have at least one cell knife in 'tortoise' that pre-dates 1920 which is fine. Cracked-ice is notorious. My pics are removed, periodically by me.

4h8rxf.jpg
 
Here is the aforementioned 'tortoise' cell knife. Made before 1920. Maybe even 1904. Probably not quite that early, but you never know, within certain windows. This pic may be removed by me at some point.

1552zi8.jpg
 
Nice ones to have - very desirable!
How can you not love that Peachseed Bone??
Is that EE a single spring, Lloyd?
 
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