Working with Tortoise shell?

kuraki

kuraki

Fimbulvetr Knifeworks
Joined
Jun 17, 2016
Messages
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I have a customer who wants me to use tortoise shell that he has for handle material.

Am I getting myself into something I shouldn't? I haven't asked how he obtained it, though I'm guessing it's been salvaged from some antique.

I'm more worried about ruining something close to irreplaceable that I don't even own.
 
Well if you're not comfortable I'd say telling the customer so and phrasing it so they understand you don't want to use their rare material as a learning experience in how not to make a handle.

Then counter offer with a material you're happy to work with that has a similar feel.
 
I'll keep that in my back pocket for now. I haven't seen it, and most of my discomfort comes from not knowing how it works... Is it like horn? Or like mammoth? And figured someone here might know.
 
An old friend of mine used to make guitar picks from the stuff. He said it worked similar to horn.
I've personally never used it though
 
First, unless it is obviously a scale plate from the shell, you need to check and find out if it is really tortoise shell. They have been using celluloid and other simulants for 150 years or so. Heating a pin or probe to red hot and touching it against the piece in a place will tell the difference. If tortoise, it will smoke and smell like burning hair. If plastic, it will melt and smell like plastic or a sweet smell.

It is reasonably soft and like working cow horn. It sands and polishes easily. It can be made pliable by warming it to around 200F.

It is illegal to sell anything with tortoise on it anymore. The use of it in making something that you are paid to do is probably also illegal. His owning it, or an object made with it, is legal in most states, but I wouldn't suggest he travel to California or NY with it in his luggage.
Will you get caught or will anyone care???, depends on where you live and who knows about it!
 
It appears, that reworking antique in that sense is illegal if it crosses state lines. This however, is a local buyer. But I'll do a bit more research before I commit.

Thanks all.
 
It works like horn, but without a discernible grain pattern. It's softer than horn and polishes very well.
It traditionally is backed with gold foil to make the grain stand out. I have found that some of the better gold color paints work almost as well.
 
I found one thread where a maker posted using white liners to achieve a similar effect. Do you think that's advisable?
 
Gold color is far better with tortoise. It increases the 3D effect and yellow tones.
 
Also, don't put it directly on the shell unless there is no other way. It is better to be on the surface behind the shell.
 
Use acetate instead, I wouldn't do anything with real tortoise, bad Karma. There are a lot of faux tortoise acetates that are widely used to make eye glasses frames, in that industry the color is called Havana. Acetate is easy to work, just keep itaway from acetone as that melts it.
 
I'll only use it if he can convince me it's antique. If it is, in my opinion, not using it is more wasteful than doing so. Like leaving a deer to rot.
 
Id be pretty careful how you proceed with this. I inherited a 130yr old kris that has tortiose shell on it, and what i can and can't do with the piece is pretty strict. Even if it is antique(and he has the documentation proving it), you could get hit with some major penalties or even jail time as your not just reselling an antique endangered species, your manufacturing something from it. which if memory serves me right, makes its grandfathered in due to being antique null and void.

Seen a few (no names mentioned) guys on here working with tortiose, and it just blows me away that they would take the risk. winking and calling it "exotic handle material" doesn't change the fact that they are literally admitting to possible felonies, and posting text and even photos on this site as proof for anyone to see. Even the pro knife photographers having the items mailed to them for photographing could be looking at interstate criminal penalties.

Just doesn't seem worth it. risk losing your biz, your money, or even your freedom, just to use a material from a specie thats on the crtically endangered list. Hawksbills are nearly extinct, less than 30k in the wild.
 
I wouldn't screw with real Tortoise shell! And I wouldn't trust F&G DHS or whomever the heck questions me to really know the law! Jail, Lawyers, Courts are All expensive even if found not guilty! Faux stuff or no go!
 
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