Fossil Ivory

J

jconnx3

Joined
Mar 30, 2013
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2
Just finished my first knife and have mastadont ivory scales. Concerned about them cracking and staining over time -is there a protective finish recommended??? Thanks.
 
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Sincerely,
Dave
 
Not that I know of , aside of a very old idea of rubbing baby oil on the item every so often. I used a lot of mammoth ivory for the past fifteen years or so. I have not received any reports of after sale cracking etc. I believe at least part of the reason why is the ivory is better dried before sale.On the other other hand I can't guarantee it won't happen nor would I do a free replacement. Frank
 
Have to second Frank's experience. I've used a lot of it on knives that get used. Only one ever had problems. The customer was a rancher. He'd lost his knife in a corral and his cowdog found it and had it as a chew toy for a while. He bought new ivory and I replaced it n/c. It was a great story, he told it very well, had me cracking up on the phone and when I received the knife back it had been chewed on. I think a lot of problems that folks have with this material is they get it too hot while working it and then it cracks later.
 
You can use thin CA to flood the surface and sand it off five or ten times in a row to "stabilize" the surface. But, in most cases, an occasional buffing with a soft cotton cloth is all it needs.

DO NOT PUT BABY OIL ON IVORY....unless you like blotchy and stained looking handles. It may well totally ruin the ivory. I don't know who started that wives tale, but I'll bet it was someone who never did it.
 
Thanks one and all. I will leave it alone and let nature take it's toll. Got the ivory from knife maker Jim Schmidt over 15 years ago and finally used a few prices. Will do more. Thanks again.
 
Horsewright said:
Have to second Frank's experience. I've used a lot of it on knives that get used. Only one ever had problems. The customer was a rancher. He'd lost his knife in a corral and his cowdog found it and had it as a chew toy for a while. He bought new ivory and I replaced it n/c. It was a great story, he told it very well, had me cracking up on the phone and when I received the knife back it had been chewed on. I think a lot of problems that folks have with this material is they get it too hot while working it and then it cracks later.
Click to expand...

That's a good dog. I need a pooch that will fetch my lost tools- I'd put up with a lot of tooth marks to get some of them back....especially the tools that I've loaned to
who-knows-who and never got back because I forgot where they went.
 
On the Chris Reeve forum I asked the question about care of Mammoth Bark Ivory (which has more coloration than pure white ivory), and in the thread I included Chris Reeve Knives' comments on their own ivory. They don't stabilize it, but rather wax and polish (I heard they used Renn Wax). But you should read it for yourself to see if any info applies to your situation.
 
I forgot to mention I do put a couple of coats of carnauba car wax on the ivory (I do this on every knife regardless of handle material). Yep I could use that dog too. I was looking for a couple old books of mine. Realized I'd loaned em to somebody just can't remember who that somebody be.
 
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