(IVORY) so thats why they get the big bucks.

BonhamBlades

BonhamBlades

Joined
Nov 13, 2010
Messages
636
I decided to tackle walrus ivory, however it seems walrus ivory is tackling me. I decided to start with as found rough. I thought ruining a $50 handle rather than a $150+ sounded like a much better idea to me at the time. I am starting to become a believer in the saying you get what you pay for lol. Although I do believe that it has been a good learning experience. I would have to steer other newbies away from this approach to your ivory education. I know it sounds like the cheapest would be the best way start, at least it did to me. In retrospect I think starting with at least partially shaped and polished ivory is a much more cost effective way to start. Unfortunately after this experience I think it takes a trained eye and hand to turn coal into a diamond. Although I do believe that I will end up with a final product. It is undetermined what this product will be at this time. Right now it looks to be a tossup between a primitive handle or a styling ivory toothpick lol.
 
It's takes experience and know how in both purchasing and the working and polishing of ivory.
Learning as you go could prove costly. Might want to seek advise/instruction from a knifemaker who has mastered ivory handles.
There's certainly knifemakers who frequent this forum who have accomplished such.
 
There are threads in "Shop Talk" about working ivory, but not much about selecting.....learning that
just takes time, and maybe a few mistakes. As with most aspects of knifemaking....slow down,
think things through...then again. Better to take some extra time than waste a nice (and expensive)
chunk ofivory.
 
Going to shows and holding them is the only way. You immediately feel weight, and get an idea of all angles of the piece. You see warps, color depth, useable depth etc etc. I did that before I was reading about it online.
 
;)Buying ivory is a lot like buying stag. Often you will find only one piece from a whole table full of raw ivory that will do what you want it to (sometimes there aren't any). That's why most will only buy handle material first hand and there is usually an early rush at a show to the ivory table(s).

Let us know how things turn out.

Gary
 
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