Thread: henckles ivory tang

There are many real ivory items still being sold on eBay both pre-ban & new that aren't supposed to be. There is an outfit in Hawaii selling new ivory items on-line within US- items are being made w/new ivory & somehow getting through as pre-ban ivory with docs via Asia. There are very few enforcement regulations on selling ivory today even though it is commonly banned from being imported or exported in most Western countries. One day I reported over 10 items that were being sold as faux ivory to eBay customer support that were real ivory- I described the details of what I could as evidence that they were real ivory through pictures & descriptions but eBay did nothing- so if you want to set-up a lawsuit against eBay and make this public because they are not abiding by their own policies then there is an opportunity...

Anyway I wish to comment that French celluloid ivory can also have irregular wavy grains in it like real ivory does (see pic- screw closure). But to distinguish it from real ivory, look at the edging of the fixtures and you may see that is has slightly bent or frayed on old pieces that are celluloid. Ivory will not bend at the end but only will wear down, chip or discolor. Also if you wish to lighten old ivory that has a yellow patina, gentle wash with very mild baby soap and water, pat dry and then place it in the window where the sun shines in and leave it a few days on one side and then turn it as needed. I have done this for old ivory pieces that have scrimshaw on them where the ink has lightened with age and have not had to have the scrimshaw re-done after the ivory lightened from sun exposure. Be careful though because this can cause the ivory to become brittle if it gets too much sun exposure. And yes UV light as been experimented on for lightening human teeth but unfortunately causes gum tissue damage so far with the lasers used. Yet just remember that the more you smile in the sun the whiter your teeth will be!

Old ivory that has hardly been worn will not show as much change in patina as worn ivory- the more that ivory is worn and the older it is, the more yellow it will become. Just as natural turquoise can change color from body oils with wear so can ivory.

Once you hold real elephant ivory in your hand there will never be any doubts again. There is nothing that feels like it. Remember mammoth ivory has been buried in the ground and depending on how well it was buried and the minerals presents and the conditions in the ground it is starting to become fossilized. You usually see this in the outer layers or bark as it is called.

I picked up something similar the other day at an antique shop.



At first I thought the scales and inlay were made of ivory, so I bought it.
After closer inspection, I decided that this is probably faux ivory celluloid.

I'm not sure if the razors refered to in the OP are the same, but maybe the ivory experts can pass judgement on my razor buy looking at my humble photo.

Shuriken, yes those scales are definately celluloid.