Imitation Ivory and other alternatives?

Farmer Phil said:
You mentioned how the paper micarta wouldn't be satisfactory because it couldn't be passed off as ivory, but then you also mentioned you were even considering wood...I'm confused.

Maybe you might want to check these folks out, http://www.elephantivorytusks.com/elephant-ivory-handle-sections.html?
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Phil, you think you’re confused, what about me! :)

I am looking for any material that could be conceivablyy passed off as Ivory. Like I said the original handle had been drilled through such as a through tang and the outside has file work. Perhaps I should have explained this project slightly better the piece I attempting to replicate. It has a handle that has been grooved down the length of the handle approximately every ¼” and also has a spiral cut into it. Resulting in a handle that has raised sections that are about 1/8"x3/8" all the way around the exterior of the handle

The origional was ivory and that is the very reason the original is still in as good a shape as it is in. The external part of that handle only has one small area where the raised areas left after the file work was done, has chipped off, and it dates back to 1861! By the time they got through with this file work. It is truly hard to appreciate the fact that it is ivory. Had I not known from the individual who holds the original that it was ivory I would have guessed it too be wood from pictures! However the hardness of the ivory has kept the raised area from chipping, I feel!

At this point anything that may be brittle or subject to heat problems would have to be out for this project.

The reason I mentioned wood is I am looking for an alternative to ivory, one that could conceivably look like ivory but, one that might not be as expensive as ivory and one that once the file work is done the resulting raised exterior that is left, might be easy to splinter off.

Now if I can find a hard enough and dense enough wood that I could do the filework on and could conceivably look like ivory, the this would be a thought. Maybe such as the boxwood that LRB has suggested.
 
Larry D. Davis said:
Stabilized holly, done proper has the look of old ivory. All depends on how true one wants to be in "replicating"
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"Truth in replicating" is in the eye of the "payer"! Now that is one of those invented words! :D
In other words this is a speculation piece if I had a buyer and they wanted an exact copy, then by all means I would go for the real ivory.
However since I am the one paying for the material, and on a beer budget, and don't know for sure this one will sale, I will opt for something slightly cheaper than real ivory but still something that could be looked at as possiby true ivory!
Who knows if this piece goes as well as I hope I may at the last minute be opting for real ivory. Now can youall understand why I am confused? :eek::confused: :D
 
If it comes down to wood send me an email and I'll send you a Holly photo. Being acrylic infused (stabilized) it holds detail well, shows some mild grain without the customary growth ring patterns of most temperate forest wood. I have a lot in stock, but only one block for your needs..cheers..
 
Sounds like Larry might have a solution for you. I was just thinking stabilized wood too. Why not give something like that a shot? If it comes out like its going to be a hot seller you could still do it in ivory and look at the wood handle as your working-out-the-setup exercise.
 
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