Sale/import of Woolly Mammoth ivory

[Locutus D'Borg]

Not sure if this is the right forum. I read someone that Mammoth tusk/ivory is now illegal in several states, including mine (Cali). In researching, I found there is a thicket of conflicting info on this. I'm not worried, but I might or might not own some, bought from legal makers like William Henry, etc. I don't think I'll be raided for a small folder or two (or more), but does anyone know about this?

Also, sometimes knife scales with Woolly Mammoth are called ivory, sometimes, center-cut of tusk, sometimes just Mammoth. I normally like to post photos, but in this case I'll refrain upon the advice of counsel.

Here is one summary:

"Is mammoth ivory legal in California? Each state's law covers elephant ivory but, depending on the state, ivory from other species is also covered. For example, California, New Jersey, and New York also ban transfers of mammoth ivory. The laws exempt certain transfers from the bans, though the specifics of the exemptions vary."

 

[TreesNoDummy]

I believe that mammoth ivory has been known to cause cancer in California.

 

[The Grendels]

A lot of blanket ivory bans are being done to try to put a dent in the two countries importing the most illegal ivory from poached elephants: China and the US (mostly by the Chinese diaspora). It's illegal in Russia to harvest mammoth ivory without a permit and even then they're only legally allowed to take stuff on the surface, but organized crime pays workers to dig them out of the permafrost and then they destroy the rest of the fossil to cover up the evidence. The rise in the mammoth ivory market meant that there was a lot of organized crime involvement and concerns about smugglers passing off modern elephant ivory as mammoth ivory.

I'd imagine if you had a bunch of emails about selling a knife with ivory scales and didn't even sell it, that would be enough to get you on the wrong side of the law, since it's also illegal to own with the intent to sell. I don't know how much actual enforcement has been done though. Given what Chinatown in San Francisco was like after the 2015 ban and the extra professional resources needed to prosecute these cases, they didn't seem to take it very seriously. Anyone been to Chinatown there and seen a ton of ivory in recent years?

 

[Glenn Goodlett]

I think the intent of the law is to keep poachers from killing elephants. Since mammoths are long since extinct there should be no problem except it is difficult to impossible to tell mammoth ivory from elephant ivory. I may or may not have several knives with mammoth tusk scales. I would never knowingly buy any illegal elephant ivory. Old ivory is legal, I think, if it is a certain age. That's why old dead pianos with ivory keys have some salvage value. I expect a google search would yeild more info.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Save the Wooly Mammoth! Mammoth tusks are frequently discovered in the Yukon by placer gold miners. I recall a guy in Williams Lake, BC, several decades ago who had dug up a beautiful pair of mammoth tusks when operating an excavator in a gravel pit somewhere in the far north. There are more than a few old-timers in Whitehorse, Yukon, who acquired mammoth tusks.

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

A lot of blanket ivory bans are being done to try to put a dent in the two countries importing the most illegal ivory from poached elephants: China and the US (mostly by the Chinese diaspora). It's illegal in Russia to harvest mammoth ivory without a permit and even then they're only legally allowed to take stuff on the surface, but organized crime pays workers to dig them out of the permafrost and then they destroy the rest of the fossil to cover up the evidence. The rise in the mammoth ivory market meant that there was a lot of organized crime involvement and concerns about smugglers passing off modern elephant ivory as mammoth ivory.

I'd imagine if you had a bunch of emails about selling a knife with ivory scales and didn't even sell it, that would be enough to get you on the wrong side of the law, since it's also illegal to own with the intent to sell. I don't know how much actual enforcement has been done though. Given what Chinatown in San Francisco was like after the 2015 ban and the extra professional resources needed to prosecute these cases, they didn't seem to take it very seriously. Anyone been to Chinatown there and seen a ton of ivory in recent years?

Thanks to all for your informative responses. Several labs in America and elsewhere are attempting to clone Woolly Mammoths from DNA. What could go wrong?

 

[Arathol]

Since mammoths are long since extinct there should be no problem except it is difficult to impossible to tell mammoth ivory from elephant ivory.

No, its actually pretty easy as long as you know what to look for. They are actually quite different....

 

[HexY3co]

Huge difference between mammoth and elephant ivory. Almost never see all white mammoth. Also would be easy to test for age.

 

[Glenn Goodlett]

Huge difference between mammoth and elephant ivory. Almost never see all white mammoth. Also would be easy to test for age.

No, its actually pretty easy as long as you know what to look for. They are actually quite different....

Well, that's what they say the logic is. It's a law, it doesn't need to make sense.

From Google- California, Nevada, Oregon, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey and Washington are the only US states that entirely prohibit the sale of ivory to deter the slaughter of elephants and other wildlife for their tusks and teeth.

Interesting read from Blade magazine

Distinguishing Elephant from Ancient Ivory

Distinguishing elephant from ancient ivory is challenging and becoming more and more important for the owners of knives with handles of ancient ivory. However, there are two reliable keys to make the determination easier. Polished cross sections of elephant and mastodon/mammoth ivories display...

blademag.com

 

[Alberta Ed]

Thanks to all for your informative responses. Several labs in America and elsewhere are attempting to clone Woolly Mammoths from DNA. What could go wrong?

I know of several troglodyte politicians.

 

[sceva]

I believe in most states that ban Mammoth it is the buying and selling that is banned, not the ownership. I can't take my Schatt & Morgan to a local gun or knife show and sell it but I can own it and I can sell it out of state (where legal)
Mammoth and elephant ivory can be told apart; the Schreger lines are different among, I believe, other things. The problem in identification mostly comes up with small items where the Schreger lines are not readily discernable..
While bark mammoth seems to be used the most and is the most striking, interior mammoth is also used.

This Schatt & Morgan has interior mammoth.