Thread: Weird Occurance

So i was shaving with my Ivory Livi today. I had dried it off and place it on the counter. I went and got dressed and came back to put away the razor. There was a very dark spot on the scales. It seems I placed the razor on a puddle of water. The scales felt a little soft on that wet spot.

The ivory was treated with Renaissance Was. I didnt know that it was so porous. It actually dried without issue, but Ill be watching where the scales are next time. I was about ready to have a heart attack.

I could feel my blood pressure rising as I read your post...Boy I'm glad it worked out well. Hope someone will come around with a suggestion.

I had no clue that ivory would react like that. How long was it sitting in the water?

I'll suggest a poor man's version of stabilizing you can try. Let the scales dry out for a good long time. Get some mineral oil and let the scales soak in that for a few days after they are dry. The mineral oil will fill up the porosity. There are a lot of knifemakers who do this and it does help. It's not as good as a genuine resin stablized piece but it does reduce the risk of getting the ivory wet. Even then, the humidity of the air can cause ivory to "walk" around a little.

Ivory is definitely different. I have had razors that would close with no problem until the weather and humidity changed and then you couldn't get the razor to fit back into the scales........

Tis so bootiful though.

Lynn

I was really shocked. Its like dropping some water on a roll of toilet paper. It just kinda swelled up. It was sitting in the water for maybe 5-10 minutes. I definitely will be watching where I put it next time. It didnt have anything to do with shifting of the scales, it just kinda swelled on the outside where the ivory was touching the water.

Originally Posted by Lynn

... Tis so bootiful though.

Amen. It's warm in the hand and feels like nothing else on a handle.

Isaac, ivory is layered, it could be that just the outer layer picked up enough water to notice but it didn't go deep enough to distort the whole scale.

I oil mine along with the blade with a good coat of mineral oil.

I'm guessing that area had some bad material. maybe rotted, who knows. Ivory should not do that. I agree it can do strange things and does absorb moisture and should be periodically oiled and it can dry and crack but its been used for ages for all kinds of stuff.

remember also that (I'm assuming its not elephant ivory) the mammoth stuff is different. It has been buried in the ground for thousands of years and has begun the fossilization process so depending on the minerals absorbed and the condition of the stuff it could have weak areas.