Fossil Bone

[Mark Williams]

As a distraction for the neighborhood kids I decided to haul a bunch of them down to my favorite fossil collection spot. Every now and then you can get a sharks tooth of whale rib fragment.
We went down to the beach and brought back about a hundred pounds of dead old animal parts. I've got a few pieces fossilized bone that i did a little sanding on and it is absolutely beautiful. It looks like light redish-brown mammoth ivory with some black streaks.
Do you think it would do any good to have it stabilized or would something 3-5 million years old need to be stabilized?

Mark

 

[Dan Gray]

hey guy I'd say if it sucks up water it needs (or should be) to be stabilized
or if not,, dried very well in the case of bone or Ivory
periodically soaked in mineral oil to keep it from cracking
the woods if not or can't be stabilized should be sealed.
evan a rock will soak up water

 

[L6steel]

Mark, sounds like you have a fantastic source for some great handle and inlay materials! I wish we had that sort of stuff in the sand down here on the gulf. All I've ever seen is drift wood, shells, and old beer cans, lol.
If the bone is really fossilized, I don't think it would need stabilizing unless it has stress cracks in it. Doesn't the bone get replaced by minerals thru the eons, ie.. fossilized?
When you consider the cost of having it stabilized versus the benefit though I guess the trade off is well worth it if the stuff is porous enough to accept the stabilant.
Be sure to post some real good pix of the knives you use this stuff on. Sounds like some fine looking high class stuff!
Take care!! Michael

 

[Mark Williams]

Michael,

Send your home address to me again. I'll fix you up for the great deal on the leather stuff.

Mark

 

[L6steel]

Knifemakers are the best folks!
Thanks Mark!!!