exotic prehistoric fossilized ivory...opinions

B

bald1

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
1,646
Folks,

I see quite a bit of fossil walrus ivory, blue mastodon ivory, and mammoth ivory being used on upscale custom pieces. For a users' standpoint just how good is this pricey stuff? Does it provide a solid grip wet or dry? Does it warp or crack? Does it discolor? How does it compare with more traditional stuff like Elk, sheep or buffalo horn, or sambar stag?

Would really appreciate some counsel.

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-=[Bob]=-

I did NOT escape from the institution! They gave me a day pass!

 
Its a pain in a butt to work like most natural materials. I prefer it stabilized
I prefer the walrus Ivory slabed for folders and for stick tang upsacle bowies full size ect.
The mamoth makes nice handle material also but its less stable.
It works easy and move all over the palce if you get it hot. Water in not its freind also. It will swell and move ..

Vacum treated is the best I have found..

For quality you will pay between 100 and 400 a pound for this material. Junk is avaible all the time. Great stuff is rare..
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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
Take a look!!!




[This message has been edited by Darrel Ralph (edited 08 May 1999).]
 
I wouldn't consider using a knife with fossilized ivory scales as an everyday or frequent user. It's too expensive and it will crack and curl.

I know of a high dollar maker working on a knife that has had to be re-scaled 3-4 times because the ivory curled up after he placed it on the liners. He always buys the best quality fossil ivory he can get, but he never knows when this can happen. It seems that the delicate nature of this material is the price you pay for its beauty.
 
Thanks guys..... sure gives me something to contemplate in making choices for a presentation grade knife. Mmmmmmmm.....

-=[Bob]=-
 
Bald1: Nothing quite like having $250 of fossilized ivory crap out on you after you aged it, babied it, prayed to the knifemaking Gods daily, etc.

Or worse, have a real expensive set end up looking mediocre because you ground too much off.

No matter how you treat it, it's squirley.

But, when you hit it right, nothing matches the look, except awsesome pearl (IMHO), and that's more squirley!

RJ Martin
 
in my humble opinion...it cracks tooooo easy and it stinks tooooooo bad....especially the stinks part....elephant ivory is the best... and now that its illegal and up to 150 per lb the poachers are making more money than they ever thought about before it was outlawed....we have some smart politicians i tell you......
 
I'd never consider it for a user knife, because it simply doesn't have much chance of standing up for normal use a very long time without developing problems.

Makers I've spoken with here in Sweden say that some collectors put knives made out of it into a climate controlled environment, because it doesn't like changes in temperature and moisture very much.

(But I'm having one made for me anyway...)

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http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
 
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