I have to admit, when I get a real collectors item, in good shape, I'm really hesitant to hone it and shave with it. Maybe I feel it would be a shame not to preserve it, I don't know.
Got a mammoth tusk end a foot long and over 5 inches wide. It has many shades of grey with black accents and a bit of tan. Don't have the equipment to cut it (well with what I have I SHOULDN'T) so I've found a waterjet cutting company... but I'm hesitant. Though waterjet cutting has many "precise" benefits, low temp., very thin cut, very accurate... and an ivory expert says the brief water exposure shouldn't be a problem... I get this terrible image in my head of water shooting in and exploding the ivory! So I'm seeking many opinions.
I'll post pics of my W&B 9/8+ Masonic. It's a beauty. But have been having problems uploading pics so I'll need to figure that out. I'm not tech savvy at all. Hehe