Part of a conversation....
Even now, just as with stag, if you want aged and colored ivory, there is only one place to get it........from an old piece, just like aged stag. There
used to be a lot of makers who didn't have or use ivory, but would use your if you supplied it. To get around the ban, you had to send them a genuine OLD item which they were comfortable knowing was well before the ban, and then they would take what they needed from it and keep the remainder of the piece just in case anyone came looking. The same went for tortoise especially, and still does, as you can not bring it in here........it has to come from an old item . Many newer knifemakers have not even seen stuff like this.
In the future ,I'll show a few more genuine antique items,that fit this category.While not knives,these articles are somewhat knife related. Definitely though,We have a very good amount of rare antique knives to add to the thread :thumbup:
English, approx. 1920's, 7 " x 1 1/2" x 5/16" thick, Very buttery in color and grainy from all angles. A nice piece of aged ivory that would look right at home pinned to the sides of a pocketknife. There are about 400 small holes drilled into it for the bristles about half depth, I'd guess, making the remainder just about the perfect thickness for handle scales. Many ivory items like this and especially in tortoise have been reborn as knife scales over the years. These materials were used extensively in dresser sets all the way into the early 1900's. This is part of one such set. I do brush my clothes with it. It works great. No makers mark