What Are Your Thoughts?? (Ivory)

[Crawler]

There is a local consignment auction that I should have the opportunity to attend in a day or two. There is a fairly (to me, anyway) massive tusk with scrimshaw all over it. I figure it's "antique" (pre-ban). If I were to acquire it, I'd trade a felow member here a portion of it for there service of cutting it into scale blanks for me... I don't know the "in's and out's" of ivory legality... I don't explicitly intend to profit* from this ivory, but what if I end up with more scale blanks of a single material than I could ever possibly use?

The biggest question I have currently is: What do y'all think about using a worked tusk to make scale blanks? All legality aside, for now. Would this be a bastardization of art?

The tusk in question, note surrounding items for size reference:

It must be several feet long. Actually, now that I look closer, it appears to be marked rather than carved.

*= Let's face it, if I restore enough razors, some will be sold to cover costs of the hobby . But between my day job & wife, it will not be a high rate of turnover/income. Just won't have the time. And the "hourly rate" would likely be peanuts... literally. Certainly less than the taxable hobby income threshold ($500? IIRC) here in the U.S..

[bouschie]

If you have money to burn go for it. If it is indeed preban and by a known artist it could be worth quite a bit.

[Crawler]

Found another view.


And I am not interested in the artist, nor its value as art. I also don't want to encourage any use of post-ban ivory. I simply figured that it would be a good way to get a scarce material to play around with, if I could get it for fairly cheap! I'm really only interested in using it for scale blanks .

Edit: Holly crap! I just realized that those are two different hunks of ivory!!!

[10Pups]

Pixelfixed. He is the ivory guy around here from what I have seen :<0)

[bouschie]

Not arguing with you. But with date, ships name etc. It might have some historical significance.

[BobH]

No expert here but if that is pre ban ivory and vintage New England scrimshaw work it would be a pity to cut it up for razor scales imo. It also might fetch more as vintage scrimshaw ivory art than just a hunk of pre ban ivory would fetch.

Bob

[bouschie]

History Revisited - Medieval Arms - Roman Medieval Chainmail Helmets Swords Celts Vikings Shields Armour
Scrimshaw Tusk Ship James Allen Faux Ivory 1830 (05/13/2007)

You may want to check these.
Google, 1830 ship James allen

[BobH]

Seems a pretty popular scrimshaw piece to copy Scrimshaw Tusk Ship James Allen | eBay .

Bob

[sqzbxr]

Looking at the ivory scales on my two Joseph Rodgers & Sons, I should think that old piano keys would be a good source - it's that thin!

[prodigy]

Looking at the ivory scales on my two Joseph Rodgers & Sons, I should think that old piano keys would be a good source - it's that thin!

+1 on that idea. I found an old piano that has ivory keys, just need to get permission to snag the keys off it. they look like they would work perfect!