I am a ham radio operator. I ran across this vintage folding knife.

If the OP reads only chapter 4.2 of the above then he will avoid potential disaster in his collection.

Cell is like a volcano, dormancy may be long, eruption a catastrophe.

You can take a Cell knife to your collection, but you can't make it anti-social free. Sectioning is the only answer here.
 
Grok advised that nothing can be done about it. Some collectors store them in inert gas, but they self-destruct anyway. Modern cellulose is made from bamboo and emits CO2.

I asked Google's AI, and it turns out refrigeration is effective for suppressing the breakdown of vintage cellulose. With this info, I am going to store this Buck Rogers folder in my freezer.

This is really annoying the blocked link is for a PDF spelling out the info about refrigerating. Click the blank space below. There's nothing for sale 😠

Review June 28, 2022

Degradation of Cellulose Derivatives in Laboratory, Man-Made, and Natural Environments​

  • Nejla B. Erdal
  • Minna Hakkarainen*
Open PDF
 
Last edited:
transmaster said:
Grok advised that nothing can be done about it. Some collectors store them in inert gas, but they self-destruct anyway. Modern cellulose is made from bamboo and emits CO2.

I asked Google's AI, and it turns out refrigeration is effective for suppressing the breakdown of vintage cellulose. With this info, I am going to store this Buck Rogers folder in my freezer.

This is really annoying the blocked link is for a PDF spelling out the info about refrigerating. Click the blank space below. There's nothing for sale 😠

Review June 28, 2022

Degradation of Cellulose Derivatives in Laboratory, Man-Made, and Natural Environments​

  • Nejla B. Erdal
  • Minna Hakkarainen*
Open PDF
Click to expand...
One, I find Grok to be pretty useless, and wrong more often than right. It only responds accurately to specific queries that contain accurate information, it will only return answers it can find on the internet, and usually its response is a mix of information that may or may not be relevant to the question.
Listen to the advise in this thread from those who have had experience with celluloid knife handles.
Two, cellulose and celluloid are two totally different things.
Cellulose is an organic material made from plants.That PDF that discusses composting and bio-degradation of cellulose is irrelevant and has no bearing on the issue of celluloid deterioration.
Celluloid is a man made material produced by mixing nitrocellulose and camphor. Its unstable, deteriorates and off gasses sometimes for no real apparent reason, and doe not give off CO2 gas.
 
glennbad glennbad contributed some valuable pictures of what happens to a Cell knife when it outgasses. He may still have these, but in the meantime look at post No. 23 . You really want to take this risk? o_O

H

Thread 'Celluloid Knife Handle Deterioration (Out Gassing)'

Sorry if this has been covered before, but in light of some talk about celluloid knife handle deterioration on another post, this might be a good topic to re-approach.

Celluloid type thermoplastics were developed in the mid 1800s and were commonly used as a knife handle material from the late 1800s to around the mid 1900s. (and again later on) Celluloid in clear form was perfect for use in "picture" handled knives from early cutlery companies such as "Novelty", "Canton", and "Aerial", who put actual film pictures under the clear cell handles. Color was also added to to produce single...
  • Like
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top