Tru Ivory

Centaur

Centaur

Joined
Sep 16, 1999
Messages
3,277
I saw this advertized in the Feb 2004 Knives Illustrated (page 15.) The ad says "Probably the most convincing ivory substitute ever created."

Does anyone have experience with this material? I was thinking of getting some for pen turning.
 
Centaur - I haven't used it yet, but I have talked to those who have for gun grips and the consensus was that it is the best imitation ivory that any of them have ever used - it even has a grain like the real thing and carves like it as well.
 
I'm wondering if that's the stuff their making out
of milk solids
that stuff didn't look to bad at the blade show..
 
Back around 1986-88, I clipped a short article out of Scientific American(I think). It told of a new process in which potatoes soaked/boiled/washed in sulfuric acid became harder and more stable than Ivory, which it greatly resembled.:eek:

I asked here, years ago, if anyone had any more info on this process. I got the impression that most thought I was pulling their leg. :eek: :)
 
Originally posted by Kit Carson
Mike,
You weren't? :)
Click to expand...


LOL........! No I wasn't. I still have that clipping. I wish I had kept the whole page so I knew for sure which mag I got it from.:eek: :)
 
Hi Mike, I have a potato-ivory recipe that I've been wanting to try. Take your nice looking, unbruised potato and wash it with diluted sulfuric acid until the surfice is nice and clean. Next boil the potato in the same sulfuric acid until it becomes nice and hard. Rinse with warm water then cold water and dry in a warm place. Ta-da, instant ivory. If someone trys this, I hope they will share the results.

Luke Smart
 
Luke, thanks for the infomation. I had hoped when I saw the original brief, that some entrepreneurial soul would turn that idea into a reality, as it seems(to me at least)like it would make a great, low toxidity end product, compared to Micarta anyway.

I'll tell you one thing, I have no plans to work with sulfuric acid anytime soon.:eek: ;)
 
so where does all this sulphuric acid steam go as you are boiling the potato????


Dont want to do that in my kitchen!!!!!!!!!!! :(
 
So I got curious and found this:

Concentrated sulphuric acid is a dehyrating agent. It will extract water from any compound or any mixture. We say that it has great affinity for water molecules.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's what it does. It's like turning potatoes into potato chips, but with battery acid.


Before playing with the stuff, I'd like to know what concentration we're talking about here? Battery acid is nasty stuff. Just read teh MSDS.

Hmmmmm..... buying Tru Ivory sounds like a better idea!

Steve
 
For the heck of it, I emailed them asking the price on a piece 1"x1"x5 for a large dagger I been working on for awhile. Got a reply back within a few hours. $60.
If I order it, I'll let you guys know what it looks like and how it works.
 
Kit - If you order which "flavor"? I talked with a friend who got some of the imitation walrus and he said it had an almost exact grain pattern as the real stuff......that sort of "swirly" thing it does?
 
I e-mailed them yesterday for prices and this is what they quoted me:

1/4" thick by 1 1/2 wide by 5" long - $37.0 per pair
3/8" thick by 1 1/2 wide by 5" long - $56.26 per pair
5" long by 1 1/4" thick by 1 1/2 - $112.50 per block

They are proud of the blocks, huh?
 
Tom,
Yep. They also quoted me $60 for a piece of 1" round x 5" long. Said something to the effect that a piece that size started out as a 1"x1"x5" :D
 
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