Elephant Ivory tip ????

B . Buxton

B . Buxton

Joined
Jul 8, 2001
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I traded a knife to a feller last spring for a box full of handle material. This piece was in it, I've tried to contact him for over a week and I get no reply so I figured I would ask here. Since we have no elephants in Kaiser, well other then pink ones and they've been detusked so they won't hurt you when your dancing :D , I've never seen an elephant tusk up close. Would you say this is a elephant tusk tip, (8" x 2" x 1/2" on the cut end) also it has a piece of steel like a nail, drove down the center of it on the cut end, anyone have any idea what purpose it might have been put in there for.

Thanks,

Bill
 

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The nail could be to seal up the end of the tusk to insure even drying. Elephant tusk is hollow for a good portion of the tusk. There is a large vein that feeds the tusk. Not usually anywhere near that far down tho. Not sure if walrus tusk is the same as I've never seen one fresh killed. I assume it is and therefore have to agree, probably walrus.
Matt
 
Another vote for walrus. A friend of mine bought a walrus tusk after Blade West. All the time I was thinking it was from a baby mastadon and I was floored to hear it was walrus.
 
walrus has a tapioca center, elephant is solid inside. show us the end view. also elephant is very round shaped and walrus is oval.
 
Female walrus is more round. This looks like walrus to me ( and I have cut up a bunch of walrus).The groove is clearly a walrus identifying mark. The nail could be a broken drill bit?
 
Looks like walrus. The end that has been cut should have a center that looks like orange peal (texture) not color with a definite border to it.

Ramsey
 
ok guys, here's a end cut photo, maybe it will be the deciding factor.
It is really solid but has what appears to be a stain in the middle portion.

Thanks

Bill
 

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B . Buxton said:
ok guys, here's a end cut photo, maybe it will be the deciding factor.
It is really solid but has what appears to be a stain in the middle portion.

Thanks

Bill
Click to expand...

Bill, You need to send it to Dr. Ray for a root canal. Since your a good friend there will be no charge.
 
Bill

The rays and rings in Ivory from different animals intersect at different angles. There are several bookliets on the subject that can be purchased from most Ivory suppliers.

Jim Arbuckle
 
Thanks eveyone, sounds like its walrus.

Dr.Ray, I guess if I send it to you for a root canal you'll send me whats left after you get a handle drilled out. Couldn't ask for a better friend then that, always looking out for my best interest. :D :D

Thanks,

Bill
 
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