Thread: What Are Your Thoughts?? (Ivory)

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..

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.

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Bob

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!

Originally Posted by 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!

+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!