All About Pocket Knives

Hard to find knives with real tortoise shell handles these days. The first knife has genuine tortoise shell handles while the second knife has celluloid handles.

Wow that Boker is beautiful!!!
I've never seen a Boker with real tortoise scales.
About how old is that one?
Thanks for sharing!

The real stuff is gorgeous. Too bad celluloid has it's faults because that ain't bad either.
Do you know if tortoise shell is susceptible to bugs like horn?

can you tell me again how to tell the difference? it looks like it would be the other way on your two.

jerryd6818 wrote:Do you know if tortoise shell is susceptible to bugs like horn?

It sure is

There just ain't no free lunch. Thanks Dimitri.

JACKNIFEBEN wrote:can you tell me again how to tell the difference? it looks like it would be the other way on your two.

The easiest way to tell real tortoise shell from celluloid is to look closely at the surface.A loupe is helpful but not necessary.

Real Tortoise shell is built up in layers much like ivory.The best way to describe it is to think of a painted surface with several different colors(layers) that has been sanded down.There will be areas where one color will show through and others where several will show.Almost like camouflage paint.

Celluloid is solid one piece and exhibits no such layering.Also if cel is rubbed with a dry cloth it will give off a very distinct odor and if you touch the tip of your tongue to the rubbed surface it will likely as not have a very sharp taste.

I have a couple of Tortoise shell razors but cannot get the correct lighting to show the layering.I'll try and get better pictures in the daylight and post them.

Thanks Guys.

Keithw: The top knife is circa. 1869-1914 and the second knife is circa. 1919-1932.

jerryd6818: I was not aware that tortoise shell is susceptible to bugs. I was aware of that issue with horn. Thanks for the info.

JACKKNIFEBEN: knife7knut nailed the difference explanation.

3-1/2" Tuxedo pen from Enterprise Cut. Co. There's a couple of worm strikes on reverse side. One is the little spot by the center pivot, the other up by the bolster. I filled 'em in with some tinted epoxy.
Not sure what kind of bug gets to 'em, but I had a feed sack of cow horns one time that took a pretty good beatin' from 'em, whatever they were.

The larvae of the dermestid beetle (aka carpet beetles) eat animal products. Taxidermists and museum workers use them to remove animal flesh from animal skeletons.

Dermestid beetle larvae have the ability to digest keratin. Keratin is the same protein found in human fingernails and hair. It is present in animal horns, feathers and fur. No doubt it is present in tortoise shell as well.


Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_6596777_do-de ... -eat_.html

If violin bows are left in the case for long periods of time, when you pull them out you will find that some or all the hairs have ben cut, same beetle.

Here are a couple of pictures of tortoise shell handles on straight razors.Note the difference in color. At first I thought the lighter one was translucent horn that had been discolored to resemble tortoise but on closer inspection I could see the layering in the shell.Horn is characterized by having long straight(or curved) lines in it's makeup.Supposedly it is of the same material as hair.

Anyhow if you look closely at the pictures you can see what almost looks like water spots that is the layering of the shell.Wish I could get better closeups.

Tortoise shell is lovely. I haven' seen much, but the bits I have seen were wonderful.

But it is a bit like elephant ivory, in that it is a great shame that it comes from elephants and tortoise shell comes from, well, tortoises.

When I was a kid nearly everyone had a pet tortoise ('cept me, of course)