Hi all. I am new to the forum,and collecting. I recently bought my first mammoth tooth knife. And i love it. But the handles have some cracks and chips in them. Especially a crack at the bottom of one of the handles. Since this material is fragile,would this be considered normal? It was described as being in mint condition,by a well respected company. But with all due respect,i am doubtful of that. I would hate to part with it. But since it is not cheap,i will return it if necessary. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Mammoth Tooth Question.
- Thread starter LouisJ
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Hi all. I am new to the forum,and collecting. I recently bought my first mammoth tooth knife. And i love it. But the handles have some cracks and chips in them. Especially a crack at the bottom of one of the handles. Since this material is fragile,would this be considered normal? It was described as being in mint condition,by a well respected company. But with all due respect,i am doubtful of that. I would hate to part with it. But since it is not cheap,i will return it if necessary. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!Mammoth ivory is really difficult to keep in great shape. I have never owned a knife with a handle made of it but it is known for cracking and checking. I do not think what you are seeing is out of the normal or could be considered a serious defect. But it doesnt make a great handle for a working knife. Good stuff for a show piece though.
Mint means different things to different people, but without seeing a photo or two it is difficult to form either negative or positive opinions.
Mint means different things to different people, but without seeing a photo or two it is difficult to form either negative or positive opinions.
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i'd call the company before thinking about returning it. they may even replace it with a similar knife but different handle if you want.
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I don't know what you expect from a "mint" material that is 5,000+ years old...
Good mammoth ivory is stabilized in vacuum with resin so all the cracks and chips are filled, sealed & bonded together. This makes it more durable, but it will always be a brittle material and not meant for hard use or absorbing lots of shock. Long exposure to sunlight and moisture will also damage the mammoth ivory. It will also darken with use.
If your scales are not stabilized, then do not use it as the cracks will spread and break apart.
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I've never received or seen a piece of mammoth tooth that was not cracked. The cracks should be filled but will be visible.
Mammoth tooth is a minimum of 20,000 years old. Think of what transpired to make the cracks. Appreciate the mammoth tooth for what it is.
If you want perfection get a block from the Formica tree!
Mammoth tooth is a minimum of 20,000 years old. Think of what transpired to make the cracks. Appreciate the mammoth tooth for what it is.
If you want perfection get a block from the Formica tree!