Col.849 Ivory

Just a quick review of this material for anyone interested in a very accurate synthetic ivory. Available from Masecraft.

This stuff is really a double edged sword. A nightmare in some respects and a dream in others. Firstly, if you are going to saw this material you really need to use a scrollsaw or a bandsaw, unfortunately I have neither so I've been cutting it up with a hacksaw. You need to cut very straight because the slightest twist of the saw blade WILL crack the material. In it's full thickness it is quite brittle. I am investing in a small benchtop scroll saw just to keep working with this material.

After you have cut out your scale blanks you probably need to do some sanding. It is a given when grinding to use some form of mask/respirator but it is absolutely essential if you want to work with this stuff, the grinding dust it gives off is just about the finest dust I have ever seen, almost like cornstarch yet finer still. It gets into the pores in your skin, embeds in the fabric of your clothes, you definitely want to keep this dust out your lungs. When sanding you also want to make sure the material stays cool as if it gets slightly warm it will become soft and distort.

Hand finishing is a dream. It sands very easily, doesn't load up on the wet and dry paper (I only ever wet sand scales) polishes easily. Much nicer and quicker to work than your standard plastics.

Appearance wise this is probably one of the closest reproductions of ivory going. Has the right subtle variation in color, streaking, etc. The only other material I would like to compare it to is the Warther resin ivory which I believe is a casein based material. The Warther material also comes in a quarter sawn type pattern with Schreger lines which looks very accurate also.

If anyone else has used this stuff or the Warther ivory would like to hear your opinions.

Photo is of a razor I finished up today. 1084 wedge grind.

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