Thread: Pinning ivory

Is there any reason why ivory is often Pinned without callers.

I don't know but i'm glad you ask that question. I have a couple of sets of ivory scales and when i find a blade for them i would like to do it right.

Contact mycarver. He works with ivory a bit.

Though I do work with a lot of Ivory I have no idea why washers/collars aren't used. The topic comes up often but so far no real tangible answer. But it usually makes it easy to spot true Ivory at times!

It looks nicer. The down side is it is kind of scary pinning vintage Ivory. I pre soak mine in mineral oil.

My understanding is that as the collars oxidize they will discolor the surface of the ivory. Just look at how nasty the inside of the pin holes look.

Professional museum restorationists will soak ivory artifacts every 6 months in mineral oil. Prevents it from drying out and drastically reduces the chance that it will crack in the future. Makes sense when you see just how many vintage ivory scales are cracked.

Does anyone know how to straighten ivory

What about using REN wax on Ivory scales? Wouldn't that protect them like mineral oil and seals them up?

Originally Posted by Willisf

What about using REN wax on Ivory scales? Wouldn't that protect them like mineral oil and seals them up?

Mineral oil helps to replenish the loss of moisture as it ages. It doesn't just seal it. the wax would slow the loss of moisture but would do nothing about replenishing it. you would have to remove to soak it again.