Broken headstock scrolls and binding repair?

[hubble]

Well I dropped my mandolin and broke the headstock scroll, as well as chipping the binding at the lower point.

I am lucky no other damage was done, and it is hardly noticeable. But I will be taking it to a luther to see what he can do.

what options are there for replacing chipped or broken binding? would one replace the entire binding or just a small section that is chipped/broken?

[sunburst]

What kind of binding? Wood? Plastic? What kind of plastic? What finish? You do mean the binding and not the corner protector(?).

[hubble]

Ivoroid binding, nitro finish. Small chip on the bottom binding and it needs to be reglued there. a larger chip on the corner protector.

[sunburst]

It can probably be fixed, then.
Ivoroid can be "solvent welded", so a new piece or patch can be melted into the existing binding. I usually use some "ivoroid mud" to "glue" in a carefully fit piece. (Ivoroid mud is scraps of the material dissolved in acetone.) When I get lucky, the repair disappears, other times it takes more work to hide it. It needs to be left to shrink for quite a while to look best when under a finish. Re-gluing the binding should be no problem.
If the corner protector is ivoroid, it can be fixed the same way, if it is bone or something else, it might be better replaced. Lacquer finish touch up is fairly routine for repair people, if there is color to be touched up that can be more of a challenge.
In short, if you get it to a good repair person, it can be fixed.

[hubble]

great to know! the material looks the same on both, it is a very small chip and other than catching on my pants when resting it on my knee, it is not a problem. I was VERY lucky the damage was so minimal. I hate that the headstock scroll broke but if the repair hides it well i will be happy.