Thread: Identifying Ivory

Pixelfixed is correct - the smell generated when working elephant ivory is just like at the dentists - when he drills your teeth. That is because an elephant's tusk is really a huge, specialised tooth so it is made from the same materials (dentine and enamel) and thus smells the same when drilled/sanded. The main part of the tusk is composed of dentine. The enamel mainly protects the tip of the tusk and is gradually worn away.

The waves/schreger lines are't always as apparent as in Pixelfixed's photo though - sometimes they can only be seen at the edges of the scales, sometimes it is very hard to make them out at all. They are most prominent the nearer you get to the central core (pulp cavity).



I'm not too sure about it being translucent around the edges like horn being a good identifier - it is pretty dense stuff, denser than horn (which is derived from keratin, like hair - it smells like hair when burned) and has opaque mineral deposits and cementum in it. I suppose you could make it very thin at the edges, but I have never seen ivory scales like that - it makes them prone to chip (it is a brittle substance) and most edges are finished at an angle somewhere between 35 and 50 degrees to the horizontal.

Also, it's not a good idea to soak ivory. The stuff is dimensionally unstable enough as it is, and swells as it absorbs water. It also loses water over time and contracts. You can see the effects of this at the pinning points on most old seven-day sets of razors in ivory scales - a good number will have split at the pin due this movement, coupled with flaring the pins too tightly in the pivot holes.

You can rehydrate ivory, though. A very light mineral or vegetable oil, or even glycerin can be applied to the scales and allowed to seep in. You can see just how much it sinks in with examples of ivory scaled razors that have been over-zealously oiled at the pivot point - it leaves a horrible looking stain, often tinged with rust or brass/copper from the filings generated by opening and closing the blade.

Regards,
Neil