(Imitation) Mother of Pearl, tortoise cellidor, etc.

Reinier · **on:** October 04, 2011, 09:56:00 PM

So, according to an old Victorinox catalog several models were available in mother of pearl, cellidor mother of pearl, genuine horn Ia, genuine horn IIa and tortoise cellidor.

I feel a bit stupid for asking this, but how can I recognize these materials? I'm asking because I just got an old Victoria knife which was advertised as having horn scales but the material feels like some kind of plastic so I wonder if that's actually the tortoise cellidor variant?
Also, I have a very nice Victoria stamped Champion which should be mother of pearl, but that one feels plasticky as well

Any help? Maybe with pictures?

Thanks in advance guys

Neil · **Reply #1 on:** October 04, 2011, 10:19:07 PM

You can normally tell fake MoP from the real deal by the colours when you tilt it in the light but if unsure run your teeth over the surface. The real deal will have a gritty feel to it, the fake Mop won't.

Reinier · **Reply #2 on:** October 04, 2011, 10:29:44 PM

Thanks Neil, I'll try that

BTW I've seen your tortoise pics, still not sure about my horn or tortoise SAK

Neil · **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2011, 11:40:48 PM

I've not enough experience with those materials to offer any helpful advice. There's always the hot pin method but its destructive so a no go

Sazabi · **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2011, 12:29:04 AM

Quote from: Neil on October 04, 2011, 11:40:48 PM

I've not enough experience with those materials to offer any helpful advice. There's always the hot pin method but its destructive so a no go

Also, too, a hot pin can damage the plastic used. This is rather problematic for earlier plastics, more than Cellidor, since some of the early plastics are quite valuable.

Sidhartha · **Reply #5 on:** October 09, 2011, 12:29:16 AM

fake mop turns yellow with age

Reinier · **Reply #6 on:** October 09, 2011, 01:29:12 AM

Aha!

My MoP one is very gritty and it shows all colors of the rainbow. But it has not turned yellow, so I guess it's real

I am still not sure about my horn one: the material is a little translucent: the pins shine through the material. Is that how horn should look like?

I found a tortoise one in my collection by the way

sak17 · **Reply #7 on:** October 09, 2011, 03:57:10 AM

This is Mother of Pearl

Sidhartha · **Reply #8 on:** October 09, 2011, 04:17:18 AM

you can find horn in many colour variations, from totally black to translucent

dks · **Reply #9 on:** October 09, 2011, 09:28:20 AM

You should be able to see if its plastic by dragging your nail along the scales. If it "catches" then it is plastic, if your nail can not dig in and moves smoothly along then it is bone/horn.