Thread: Did I win the unicorn prize...?

It's hard to tell from the pictures but they could be plastic.

Seem a bit too rounded and thick compared to most ivory I've seen. Could you take a picture from the side to see how thin they are. If they're very thin it's most likely ivory as that'll have the required strength.

You can also do a hot pin test if you don't care about causing a blemish if they turn out to be plastic.

As far as bone goes, if it doesn't have pores it wouldn't be bones. Check with a magnifying glass though.

Hope this helps

Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Not sure I understand Jerry. Why would it be illegal to sell this?

Here it is https://www.fws.gov/international/tr...d-answers.html .

Bob

Yeah, the retail ivory thing definitely should have been my clue. Ah well, easy edge and a good shaver... And not common, so who knows? There is definitely some skill to the hollow grind itself. Little to no hone wear at spine or edge. But thank you for your inputs.

Nice looking razor. Would like to find out definitively what the scales are. Hard to make out from the pics.
Ove got a Henckels with thick ivory scales, but they are usually very thin as another member mentioned.

Originally Posted by 32t

They use to call celluloid French Ivory.

I bought a razor once that the women swore was Ivory and I knew it was celluloid. But the price was fine for what it was so I bought it even if she didn't know what she was talking about or lying

Had a guy at BladeShow get his panties in a bunch when I told him his $500 ivory razor was celluloid. The fact it was figural/decorative with wedgeless scales were not as important as his decades of experience.

Originally Posted by BobH

Here it is https://www.fws.gov/international/tr...d-answers.html .

Bob

Is there another part saying it illegal to sell within state?
There are still ivory dealers in the U.S.
I could believe just about anything is restricted in California though.

Originally Posted by JP5

Is there another part saying it illegal to sell within state?
There are still ivory dealers in the U.S.
I could believe just about anything is restricted in California though.

My guess is that it would be very tricky to prove that the elephant ivory was imported before the Cities Convention. It sounds easy enough till you try it is my bet.

It also says to check and see if it is legal to sell according to your local and State laws as well.


This was a hot topic a few years back and typing in "Selling Ivory" brings up a lot of threads on the subject including this one https://sharprazorpalace.com/convers...ml#post1290861 .

Bob

Yea doubt they are Ivory, here in California, Fish & Game routinely goes into Antique Stores and Flea Markets and seize anything that looks like ivory. Had a guy tell me they took a razor scaled in bone. He argued they were bone, but the guy said Ivory and took them.

The fact they are not pinned collarless, thick and not a “quality, name brand”, makes it doubtful it is ivory. Nice looking razor. All of the razors I have in Ivory over 30, are quality razors and pinned collarless, most super thin.

If you read the seller’s description, you can see, the seller or at least the writer is not familiar with straight razors.

There is still a lot floating around and I buy them all the time, folks think they are plastic. Bought 5 of a 7-day set just recently for a song.

So, more pics, testing, thoughts:

Tried the hot pin (small finishing nail) test. Nearly red hot, touched inside the scales. No mark, no smell. Points me toward bone. Very thin, much less than spine width when added together. Maybe a little too creamy and varied in color for ivory; again, bone. But highly polished, and no real pores, just a few marks. Hmmmmm. Spacer, not a wedge. Steel pins, but brass collars. Scales are about 5/16 longer than ideal, so re-scaled. But where'd the scales come from? Hmmmmm. Only "JJ Hogan", jimping, nothing else.



Any more thoughts?

I think they are most likely bone. When they age it can be harder to tell them apart. Good bone actually looks very similar. I have quite a few sets of both bone and ivory. Most are east to tell. I have a few that I think the front scale is ivory and the back scale is bone. Sometimes they need to be looked at closely with magnification to see the difference. Either way they are nice scales. I really like bone scales.

Thanks. Either way, I'm happy. Maybe to an antique store to have someone who looks at old bone/ivory...

Curious about the front scale ivory, and back, bone. So, display side for blade and scales?