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Stag, jig bone or mastadon
- Thread starter Boink
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- May 9, 2000
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With mammoth/mastadon ivory its grippiness(?) will depend on how much bark is left on. If it is heavily polished, ivory does not have a very good grip. If the ridges are left on stag it has very good grip, but is slippery when wet or slimy. Jigged bone has the same problem, but is not as secure when dry. These observations are my own and the opinion of others may differ.
As far as colours go, jigged bone can be any colour you want to dye it, so it can have a tremendous variety. Mammoth/mastadon/ancient walrus ivory can have stunning colors. I have seen ancient walrus ivory with different shades of red, blue, green, orange/yellow and brown all on a single piece. Stag is reddish brown to dark brown on the outside and creamy white underneath. It can be dyed, but only seems to look good in a very few colours.
I have not seen a pictorial reference on these materials. What I have done is look at thousands of knives or pictures of knives.
As far as colours go, jigged bone can be any colour you want to dye it, so it can have a tremendous variety. Mammoth/mastadon/ancient walrus ivory can have stunning colors. I have seen ancient walrus ivory with different shades of red, blue, green, orange/yellow and brown all on a single piece. Stag is reddish brown to dark brown on the outside and creamy white underneath. It can be dyed, but only seems to look good in a very few colours.
I have not seen a pictorial reference on these materials. What I have done is look at thousands of knives or pictures of knives.
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2000
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Of the three you mention, I would say Mastodon Ivory. Any Ivory was popular in the days when people actually used knives for fighting, because it was the most grippy material of it's day, even when wet with blood.
I am not sure you will actually get Mastodon Ivory, as there is very little of it around. Could it possibly be Mammoth Ivory?
I am not sure you will actually get Mastodon Ivory, as there is very little of it around. Could it possibly be Mammoth Ivory?
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
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- 29,205
I have seen hundreds of knives that have mastadon ivory listed as their handle material. Maybe these makers are wrong and it is actually mammoth ivory, but if you just go by what is listed then mastadon ivory is a very popular material to make knife handles out of. So is mammoth ivory for that matter. Does anyone know if it is really the same material and just being called by two different names?
If the mammoth/mastadon ivory is left barky then it will have a very secure grip, even when wet. If it is highly polished it will be much more slippery.
If the mammoth/mastadon ivory is left barky then it will have a very secure grip, even when wet. If it is highly polished it will be much more slippery.
Here in the north country mastodons were very rare.I have sold tens of thousands of pounds of ivory and only had one small mastodon tusk.It had very thin bark.They were common in the south but that ivory did not survive in a usable form.I skin and butcher from 5 to 10 moose a year and use a knife made by Corbin Newcom with blue ivory handles.After a short break in period it is very grippy.Contrary to what some believe if it is solid and dry when it is put on a knife it is very durable.