Sorry to read this. They were lovely scales. .View attachment 41506
I liked the look of curly birch, but ouch not a very stable wood as it broke when I applied the linseed oil finish, oh well better fail now than later in the middle of a shave.
Perhaps using thin steel scales mated with the birch to reinforce the structure. Might also look nice.
Lesson learned, I will save most of my curly birch for another project: new scales on pocket knives from China, Enlan et al.
I was thinking stainless or clear plastic, or ditch 'em and use unbleached bone.