Narwhal Ivory

B

BradV.

Joined
Nov 4, 2005
Messages
3
I just acquired a 4" by 1.5" piece of beautiful narwhal ivory that i want to use for a handle on a knife I'm having made for me. My question is does narwhal need to be stabilized before used for my intended purpose? If so, who should I have do it? Thanks in advance.

Brad
 
I don't know if you need to or not, but many professional knifemakers swear by WSSI:
http://www.stabilizedwood.com/wssi.shtml
I hope that helps. Good luck.
If it is older, or looks like it's starting to develop cracks, it would probably be a good idea to send it in.
Or maybe just call them.
 
Don't send Narwhal anywhere in the US. To the best of my knowledge it is a banned item. Last maker I knew that worked with it was Jim Hrisoulas when doing a sword for a King in Europe (not kidding). The Narwhal horn had to travel in a diplomatic pouch in order to get through customs.
 
Before shipping your ivory check with the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service to see what the laws are in your State and the State that you will be shipping the ivory to. Within Canada certain documents are required to legally ship it between Provinces. I am not sure if this is the same in the U.S.

I also have a nice piece of Narwhal that I am going to have used in the making of a knife in the future. I also have a 13" walrus tusk tip.

Narwhal does not need to be stabilized.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. The narwhal I have comes from Boone Trading Co. in Washington. It's documented as part of a mid-1900's batch and therefore pre-ban. Once Boone's supply is gone, that's all she wrote. I've been told it's legal to ship this narwhal anywhere and Boone's openly advertises on the internet so I guess this batch is legal.

Brad
 
Hello Fellow Knife Makers!
My name is Dale and I just joined the site today (Dec 3,2005). I live on the Arctic Circle in a community named Repulse Bay, Nunavut that is in Northern Canada. We Harvest about 70-120 Narwhals every year. This Year my fiancee' got a Narwhal with a 36" tusk! To make the Narwhal look nice here is what we do when we take it out of the animal.
1. Soak it in water for a few hours.
2. Get a steel brush (like for scraping paint) and scrub off the algae.
3. Clean very well and dry.
4. Rub lard onto the tusk.
5. If you can get it inside, do so as this will help preserve it better.

I am glad that this site is here. I am trying to sell my first damascus steel knife but don't know how much to sell it for. The knife has scrimshawed walrus tusks with Polar Bears on one side and Narwhals on the other. I got the steel from Brian Lyttle and it is a beautiful knife.

Anyway, I make knives out of traditional stuff that is common around here like Narwhal,walrus, Blue Whale Baleen, Caribou, etc. Anyone who might be interested in purchasing some of this can email at dsmutylo@qiniq.com.

Also I would like to see a picture of a Bee Grinder if someone has one. I hope to make new aquintances with some of you.
Dale
 
Dale,Welcome to BladeForums!~ :) Can't help ya' with Bee Grinder pics.
 
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