Cutting Mammoth tooth

C

Cazten

Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Messages
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Thinking about buying a whole mammoth tooth, looking for some basic advice.

I've profiled a lot of information on working the material, pretty sure I'll have adequate tools. And it will be professionally stabilized before working it.

Main question is this.

A.) what seems to be the choice method for cutting the tooth. More specific into what direction to cut along the tooth?
B.) do all teeth tend to have the color and streaking to some extent that were used to seeing on blade handles? I'm sure it may be hard if not impossible to guess color type, but I'm just wondering if you have a good chance of getting something when you cut it open ( even if not the insane best choice piece), or if it's a high chance you get absolutely nothing.
C.) where are the best sources to get it? In terms of land based, ocean based, ect? I hear north sea saltwater teeth are very easily broken, chalky, and not recommended. But then I've seen some sources say lt water tends to be where the best colors come from?

Also does anyone use something different besides lots of ca glue while working it? I've seen some stuff from paleo bond mentioned before. I've also seen some handles that look like they have black filled fissure lines, like maybe black dyed glue or epoxy was forced in during the ending finishing phases vs glue?
 
Mammoth tooth is a really stressful product. The failure rate is high. Paleo-bond is just a kit of CA in different viscosities. A large bottle of thin 2P-10 from woodcraft ( or similar CA) will be needed to do a whole tooth.

Professional stabilization won't make the tooth keep from chipping and falling apart while you try to cut and shape it, BTW.

Just be prepared for the strong possibility that after a good bit of money and time, you may have nothing but a pile of mammoth tooth chunks.
 
Does this mean it's not really suitable for a knife that's going to be used?
If it's that delicate, it makes me wonder- It sure is pretty- I've never worked with it.
 
I use a lot of mammoth tooth. When a large tooth was given to me I sent it off to my friend Charles Turnage in Texas to be cut and treated. Stacy said it ALL . It is never fails to be less than what seems to be a maximum effort on my part to get it to where I want it. I use a very thin micarta backing and silicon carbide belts to work it. Often if care isn't taken and I try to cut it with a metal cutting fine tooth band saw it will break up. Now you try to glue it all back together again. Before appling the backing, the surface must of course be very flat. Once this surface is ready I apply the thin CA glue to the back, flatten it again and then apply the micarta backing. Now is a good time to apply the CA to the outside surface. Drilling holes for attatchment to the handle is what I find the most difficult part of working this material. There often is both hard spots and soft ones to go through. I use carbide drill bits and still end up often doing restoration work. I usually use 60, 120, 220, 400, and 600 grit belts. I then go to hand finishing. I no longer buff. Whenever bad spots show up, the CA glue goes to being used again.
I know I will stay with the challenge of working this material. It is a special natural material. I do not believe it should be used on every day carry or hunting knives. To see some of my mammoth handled folders, go to customknifegallery.com I hope this helps some. You can contact me direct for further info, if you wish, or right here in the forums. Frank.
 
Well, I own a lot of art that I don't carry around or try to cut things with, so IMHO that's a fine use for a fancy knife.
In fact, that's one of the great things about having a craft- other artists love to trade...paintings, carvings, musical instruments....
 
Well, just great, elementfe !! I only make a dozen or so user folders a year. The rest are for collectors and it's true, many like the mammoth tooth scales. Frank.
 
I have been stabilizing AND CUTTING INTO SLABS AND PEN BLANKS FOR A FEW MONTHS.
The first step is to dry entire tooth or chunks as they are sent. check to ensure there isn't any glue or any resins on the outside or cracks
The drying process is crucial as it drives out moisture, after 1-3 days, depending on the size and moisture content. the tooth is ready to be stabilized in whole. at this point it is very fragile and must be handled gently. Once stabilized, it can be cut approximately in half and a judgment can be made if other stabilizing methods are needed. It is a tedious process but the payoff I get are super tough pieces that mostly wont chip even after dropping on to the floor by accident
 
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One member here has replied that he has made several if not many mammoth tooth handled knives that are carried and used every day. He must have a way to approach and use this material. Often we get on a line of doing something and we continue with that until we are shown another trail to follow. I sure would appreciate anyone's input on working this material.
Frank
 
I'm not sure if I'm who Frank is talking about but I do make quite a few users out of mammoth tooth. Well use to, can't anymore since I live in Cali but I use too. These went to working cowboys/horsemen for daily carry:

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Couple more small EDCs in Damasteel:

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Couple being used at a branding:

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I have a DVD from Charles Turnage on how to work tooth. He suggests sandwiching scales in between a top and bottom piece of fiber spacer material. I use lots of super glue to set these up. This sandwich allows the tooth to be cut (variable speed portaband on a swag table) and drilled with very little chipping. Once the handles are on the knife. the top layer of spacer material is ground off. Then between 120 and 320 sanding grits I soak the tooth down in a couple really good coats of superglue and allow to dry. Then start back at 220 to knock the excess glue off and go on from there. Like any fossilized handle material ya don't want to get it hot. I've never cut a whole tooth. I've just worked with scales most of which were from Charles.
 
Yes, Dave, you were the member I was thinking about. Would you please tell us, unless it's a propritary issue, how to drill the holes so cleanly? What type of drill bits are you using, speed, and any fluid used after the scales are sandwiched? Am I right in understanding this sandwich is fiber, tooth, fiber, tooth, fiber? Is the liner material "fiber" or perhaps micarta?
Did I say your use of this material looks to be the very best? Thank you for this and any further information you may give.
Frank
 
Thank you sir, for your kind words. i've always been fascinated by the "cool" factor of this material. Really nothing special at all I use HSS drill bits, #30 and an F. I don't use any fluid or special speeds. While I have two drill presses one set up with the 30 and the other with the F, I just use the same speeds I use to drill elk, wood or sheep horn or steel for that matter. I keep both set not at the slowest but towards the slow end. While drilling I'll clean the hole a lot just by lifting the bit out. If it starts to get warm I'll set it aside. I always work in batches so there another 20 odd to 30 odd knives that need drilling. Mostly I think its feel thing. Its kinda like jigged bone and ya know how it wants to bust out instead of drill clean so ya back off right at the end. Its kinda like that all the way through. Yep you are right on the layering. Now the one thing I do different than some guys is on a knife with a bolster and every tooth knife should have one I glue one side on first. When the glue has dried I will trim any excess handle material and then drill the holes using the holes in the tang as a guide. I then glue the other side on and the next day use the prexisting holes on one side to drill the second side. So the sandwich is fiber, tooth and fiber that becomes the liner once glued on. After drilling I glue in pins and after that has dried up start grinding. I'll use a flat disc with a 60 grit to get the outside fiber off. The fiber kills an 80 grit disc and a 36 will chip up the tooth. 60 seems about right. On the super glue I've become pretty set on a specific one and it flys in the face of conventional wisdom becuase its not very thin but it works for me well and I've tried others. I use Gorilla Glue brand Super Glue both for the sandwiching and the coats while shaping the hanlde. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks, Dave!
Some things I don't do well in the knife making, however when I'm able to get something different than what I'm already doing I sure will give it a big go.
Frank
 
You are welcome Frank. If I can be of any further assistance please do not heistate. I would be honored to assist.
 
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