Warthog tusk as a handle material?

[kamagong]

How suitable is warthog ivory for use as knife scales? I have a 4" closed custom slipjoint on order and I was thinking about having the maker use warthog for the handle material. Does anyone know how big the tusk has to be?

 

[Dan Pierson]

I've used it in a couple of hidden tang knives and been very happy with it.

How big the tusk has to be would depend on the size and shape of the handle.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I made several folders with warthog tusk. One was a custom order as a gift to a Gunny DI at OCS ,Pensicola, FL. It was engraved ," Nothing Is Tougher Than The Gunny".

Warthog makes a nice folder. The bolsters will need to be sculpted to match the grove in the tusk. It polishes to a super finish. The black lines add a lot to the look.

I'll try and find some photos tonight.

Stacy