mammoth ivory

marekz

marekz

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
1,699
can anyone give me their opinion on mammoth or walrus ivory.is it difficult to work with?, as a handle is it very stout/solid? Can you let it get hot while grinding? any good sources where i can get some. as a very new knife maker i hesitate to attempt something that is so expensive and would like to find out as much as i can. thank you--mark
 
Grinding/sanding needs to be done slowly. A good gauge of excessive
heat is to feel the piece frequently, and let it cool before it is warm
enough to feel uncomfortable.
For drilling, again, go slowly. Drill in slightly, then clean the bit. The buildup
on the bit causes it to bind and heat up quickly. The effect of overheating
may take months or years to become visible.
Walrus (ancient) tends to be more durable than mammoth.
The best way to buy ANY natural handle material is at shows where you
can inspect each piece. Second best is through a dealer whom you have
established a working relationship with.
 
Best way to not get it hot while grinding is to not grind it!
Saw cut it close to shape and finish off by filing.
You will get minimal movement from a lot of natural materials if they just simply never get hot in the first place.
 
I advise you to stick with less expensive and less fussy materials while learning. Stag and hard woods and Micarta all will make nice handles and you won't be stuck with hundred dollar scales on $75.00 knives.

We all go through a period of experiment while learning. You will benefit by spending the time getting used to making the shapes and learning the hard lessons with economical materials.
 
thanks Mr. Hayden that is very sound,-sometimes i get abit crazy with what i want to do--realizing i dont even have the basic foundation.
 
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