This is quite common and if you look at most mammoth, especially bark, you will see chips. While I only have one mammoth inlay, I have seen 100's of pics showing such nicks and chips, even from dealers sites that show the new knife. It's a natural material and this is to be expected, especially from a fossilized material. Being as this knife has been passed around, it's quite possible it happened during that time, or it could have been when it was new. Look around at mammoth pics and you will see polished with dull spots and chips, especially with bark. CRK discontinued mammoth because they were unable to find quality pieces to work with. I am sure they have milled many of fine mammoth only to see nicks and chips after machining........Sorry to see this and hear that your upset by it. I think anyone would be to an extent, especially if they did not see it in pics beforehand.
This is from Page 3 of my CRK History Timeline pertaining in particular to Mammoth Ivory. Hope this helps shed some light on the material itself.
** MAMMOTH IVORY INFORMATION **
With all the talk about mammoth bark lately.......wether its stabilized, how its treated, how to care for it, etc. For my own personal knowkedge and of course to share with my fellow CRK friends, I emailed CRK and asked about durability, how its treated, cracks, etc.
Here is my email to them and their response. Definitely to get a mammoth ivory...when that right one comes alone ( and when I sell more....lol ).
CRK,
I have been looking into getting a CRK with Mammoth Ivory. The beauty on
some of these is unspeakable. I am considering the sebenza and the mnandi.
I would like to know how you stabilize them and how durable they are
overall. I see several that have cracks in them, is this a normal and it is
something I should be worried about...?
Are different colors more durable, or is it all equal with your stabilizing
process.
Looking forward to hearing from you and what you have to say about the
mammoth ivory.
Thanks,
Thomas
( nyefmaker )
I am sure this info will be more than helpful to my fellow CRK buds as it was to me. Many Thanks to Jessie from CRK for her quick reply.
Hello Thomas,
The mammoth that we use is not stabilized (like some wood inlays are)...the
main finish we use is a wax to polish/protect the inlay. The mammoth bark
does have cracks and crevices at times but if the inlay has deep crevices we
do try to make sure that they are resistant to getting anything stuck in
them that may cause them to erode or "crack".
The color variations you see are due to what that mammoth might have been
exposed to (or buried in) before it was found and that also varies greatly.
But the color doesn't have any significance to the strength.
To care for mammoth is easy, just use a damp cloth to clean it and it is
best if the knife is not exposed to extreme conditions over a long period of
time...i.e. heat, humidity, bleach, harsh soap etc. For example we say that
if you keep the knife in a pocket and it tends to be a sweaty, moist
environment then it should be kept in the pouch. That is why we provide one
with all our inlays and decorated knives...it just adds that extra
protection. But the way we make the inlay should keep it stable if cared for
well. Our inlays are a natural resource and are not sold as indestructible
but with proper care they will be fine. And of course if for some reason
something unusual happens like a crack we will look at it and determine if
it is a warranty issue.
The mammoth inlays are meant to be our top of the line, unique and beautiful
inlay and with anything of that sort you wouldn't want to subject it to hard
use like you would say with a regular Sebenza. It certainly will be
something to show off and be proud of.
Hope that helps you make your decision.
Jessie
Customer Service - Chris Reeve Knives
Here is some more information on Mammoth
Fossil ivory comes from three sourcesit is either walrus ivory that has been buried for hundreds to thousands of years or it is 10,000-plus-year-old ivory from the long extinct woolly mammoth or mastodon. All of these ivories have been buried for centuries and have absorbed minerals from the soil that have turned them varying colors from tan, orange, golden brown, and chocolate brown to even black; occasionally a blue or green color is also seen. This ivory is not truly fossilized in the sense that the ivory has been replaced with minerals/stone; it is really just beginning to become mineralized. It is in the earliest stages of fossilization and is just slightly harder than fresh ivory. "Fossil" ivory can be cut or worked with the same tools that regular ivory is worked with as listed below, the only difference you may notice is that due to the minerals it generally has a rather unpleasant smell when it is being sawn or sanded and it takes an even better shine than fresh ivory. Most "fossil" walrus ivory is found in the form of Eskimo artifacts, usually sled runners, large chopping tools (adzes or mauls) or net weights; this is because the Eskimo had lots of ivory and very little good wood. The Eskimo dig for these artifacts during the warm summer months at ancient village sites.
