Thread: Mammoth tooth as scaling material?

I'm a big fan if exotic scale material and have come across alot if knives using fossilized mammoth tooth as handle material. Of course on the knives the material in pinned flat against a metal backing and is not freestanding like razor scales. My question is is the stuff, stable/strong/flexible enough for straights? Oils it be used with a backing and work? Or I this just a no go?

Anybody have experience working with the stuff? I have search around and haven't found much on the material relating to razors...

I assume it could be used like MOP, in ridged pieces pinned to a backing- but can it be used as a single souls piece?

I have worked with it, is true fossil, 100% minerialiezd (sp) you need a diamond saw to slab it.

Mammoth teeth, at least what I have used, are recovered from the permafrost. Some have been stabilized, please read, firmed up with resins. They can be easily cut with a thin wheel on an angle grinder, drilled with carbide burrs, shaped with a belt sander, and polished to a high sheen. The ones I have used are not fossils, and stink when worked, like sitting in a dentist chair. It smell like tooth being ground.

Down side. It is very brittle, usually separating along the enamel/dentine layers. There is zero flex. Even with a backing, they will pop. Only way I can see around it, would be to do it in tiles like MOP, and seal with CA glue.

PM me if you would like, I'll help out best as I can.

Originally Posted by PierreR

Mammoth teeth, at least what I have used, are recovered from the permafrost. Some have been stabilized, please read, firmed up with resins. They can be easily cut with a thin wheel on an angle grinder, drilled with carbide burrs, shaped with a belt sander, and polished to a high sheen. The ones I have used are not fossils, and stink when worked, like sitting in a dentist chair. It smell like tooth being ground.

Down side. It is very brittle, usually separating along the enamel/dentine layers. There is zero flex. Even with a backing, they will pop. Only way I can see around it, would be to do it in tiles like MOP, and seal with CA glue.

PM me if you would like, I'll help out best as I can.

Thanks so much for the input. When I get my hands on some I will contact you. I have one of my grail razors on its way and the scales are toast so I want to do something special. Funny you shoul answer this thread Pierre, I was looking at an ox horn scaled custom u did that kind of led me to this! Thinking about it objectively it may be best for stability and look the best if it is worked like MOP and have the sections separated by a thin piece of brass or maybe sterling silver.... Idk food for thought...

My money was def on pixel knowing a thing or two- :-)

Thanks guys for quick resp as always

As an afterthought, haven't seen it done yet, but am waiting on a shipment of thin titanium for a straight frame. Super spring, corrosion proof (afaik) and will polish to mirror lustre. Peening would prove problematic, but I have a way around it in mind. Touch base when your ready, we can chat.

Originally Posted by PierreR

As an afterthought, haven't seen it done yet, but am waiting on a shipment of thin titanium for a straight frame. Super spring, corrosion proof (afaik) and will polish to mirror lustre. Peening would prove problematic, but I have a way around it in mind. Touch base when your ready, we can chat.

That's cool, looking foward to hear what u have in mind. For some inspiration here's the blade I intend on putting it on- it's currently nestled under te il Yule time spruce (from Santa wife)

I have never sent anything out before as I do all my own restorations and scales, but in this case of have considered maybe sending it out for rescale, idk... Guess we'll see...

Hey even a chef eats out every so often right?

I will message you after the holidays, I have off after Xmas so I should have the restoration on the blade done by New Years.

Happy holidays Pierre, ( and pixel ;-p) and thanks again!

Originally Posted by JoeLowett

That's cool, looking foward to hear what u have in mind. For some inspiration here's the blade I intend on putting it on- it's currently nestled under te il Yule time spruce (from Santa wife)

I have never sent anything out before as I do all my own restorations and scales, but in this case of have considered maybe sending it out for rescale, idk... Guess we'll see...

Hey even a chef eats out every so often right?

I will message you after the holidays, I have off after Xmas so I should have the restoration on the blade done by New Years.

Happy holidays Pierre, ( and pixel ;-p) and thanks again!

Aha! It was you who got that one.
(Not that I even bid on it, but I had been thinking about it)

IMO, it's already been rescaled so one more isn't going to hurt anything. But those scales are restorable. I fix up old Sheffield scales like that all the time (and yes, I saw the other picture with the bug bites).

I wish I could tell you anything about the razor other than 'it's really weird'. I've seen one or two others with the strange tail and I just have no idea what's going on there. Maybe they were made for surgical prep?

Be that as it may, it's a fine, fine looking razor!

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Aha! It was you who got that one.
(Not that I even bid on it, but I had been thinking about it)

IMO, it's already been rescaled so one more isn't going to hurt anything. But those scales are restorable. I fix up old Sheffield scales like that all the time (and yes, I saw the other picture with the bug bites).

I wish I could tell you anything about the razor other than 'it's really weird'. I've seen one or two others with the strange tail and I just have no idea what's going on there. Maybe they were made for surgical prep?

Be that as it may, it's a fine, fine looking razor!

Thanks Zak- yea I told my wife 'don't lose' I agree that the bug bites can be filled, I could have also thought about the replica route but idk I felt like either mammoth tooth or musk I horn would be a suitable match. I have a couple other tillotsons and the came with honey horn.

As for the blade, if its got you stumped, i doubt we'll ever know any more about it... yea the weird tail thing... Idk or where to even start with that one. The blade to me really resembled a W&B ottoman Egyptian & royal Windsor, which I have been after for a long time... I have a thing for tillotsons too so I was kinda a best of both work thins I guess. It's got a super hump tang and swayback looking spine. Ill post more pics 12-25.

Originally Posted by JoeLowett

Thanks Zac- yea I told my wife 'don't lose' I agree that the bug bites can be filled, I could have also thought about the replica route but idk I felt like either mammoth tooth or musk I horn would be a suitable match. I have a couple other tillotsons and the came with honey horn.

As for the blade, yea the weird tail thing... Idk or where to even start with that one. The blade to me really resembled a W&B ottoman Egyptian & royal Windsor, which I have been after for a long time... I have a thing for tillotsons too so I was kinda a best of both work thins I guess. It's got a super hump tang and swayback looking spine. Ill post more pics 12-25.

Yeah, I was just looking at the pics again, and I don't think those are even the original scales. It sits badly in them. Custom scales are the way to go. If I'd ever seen one remotely like it in original condition I might be able to help a bit more on the scales front, but your guess is as good as mine. Definitely one of the wilder antiques.

The blade definitely reminds me of the W&B Ottoman razors, but it's got some serious Loch Ness Monster going on that's all its own. Awesome stuff, and you don't see a lot of Tillotson razors out there!

Originally Posted by JoeLowett

That's cool, looking foward to hear what u have in mind. For some inspiration here's the blade I intend on putting it on- it's currently nestled under te il Yule time spruce (from Santa wife)

I have never sent anything out before as I do all my own restorations and scales, but in this case of have considered maybe sending it out for rescale, idk... Guess we'll see...

Hey even a chef eats out every so often right?

I will message you after the holidays, I have off after Xmas so I should have the restoration on the blade done by New Years.

Happy holidays Pierre, ( and pixel ;-p) and thanks again!

Well now rabbit! That is a different looking piece for sure! I could see that in black lip MOP, or mammoth. Either a set of near the bark scales, or tiled tooth. Odd to see a pivot so far below centre of a tang? Maybe it's the whole tail that looks low. Cool look either way!