Mammoth ivory
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Randy Lucius
Well-Known Member
I haven’t used ivory but I have used mammoth tooth. Some of the same things should apply. Use fresh sharp abrasives and avoid getting it hot. Were a respirator. Take your time and you shouldn’t have any trouble.
EdCaffreyMS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
There are number if kinks when working fossil ivories. The two biggest ones being sensitivity to heat, and checking/cracking. Heat can do all kinds of bad things to ivory. In thicker sections, checks and cracks are common, and in thinner sections (as in handle scales) warpage can be severe.
You have to work it SLOWLY and GENTLY. IF it gets hot, put it down and walk away until its cooled. DO NOT attempt to cool it by dipping in water, or by blasting it with compressed air. Trying to force it to cool, exacerbates any issues. How hot is too hot? If it's warm/hot to the touch, it's too hot. Although fossil ivories are/can be fragile, if it gets hot and then cools a number of cycles.... that makes it even more fragile.
The key is using sharp/new belts, tools, and TAKE YOUR TIME.
Fossil Ivory, like any other natural material will "move".....that means shrink and expand with varying environments, Some folks have success by soaking it in baby oil over night.... at least once a year. Usually at this point, the question is... what if I stabilize it? DO NOT get sucked into the false belief that if you stabilize fossil ivory, or any other natural material for that matter, it's not going to move....it will. Stabilizing has been WAY over rated by the latest generation of knifemakers. Stabilizing was developed/intend for making materials that would otherwise would not be suitable for handle material...suitable. Meaning a way of making rotted, punky, or soft materials hard enough to be used as handle material.
Even materials stabilized by the top companies WILL move, those done through "home brew" processes ar often worse than the same material without stabilizing. Stabilizing does not prevent anything.....it MINIMIZES them.
You have to work it SLOWLY and GENTLY. IF it gets hot, put it down and walk away until its cooled. DO NOT attempt to cool it by dipping in water, or by blasting it with compressed air. Trying to force it to cool, exacerbates any issues. How hot is too hot? If it's warm/hot to the touch, it's too hot. Although fossil ivories are/can be fragile, if it gets hot and then cools a number of cycles.... that makes it even more fragile.
The key is using sharp/new belts, tools, and TAKE YOUR TIME.
Fossil Ivory, like any other natural material will "move".....that means shrink and expand with varying environments, Some folks have success by soaking it in baby oil over night.... at least once a year. Usually at this point, the question is... what if I stabilize it? DO NOT get sucked into the false belief that if you stabilize fossil ivory, or any other natural material for that matter, it's not going to move....it will. Stabilizing has been WAY over rated by the latest generation of knifemakers. Stabilizing was developed/intend for making materials that would otherwise would not be suitable for handle material...suitable. Meaning a way of making rotted, punky, or soft materials hard enough to be used as handle material.
Even materials stabilized by the top companies WILL move, those done through "home brew" processes ar often worse than the same material without stabilizing. Stabilizing does not prevent anything.....it MINIMIZES them.
Ed, you've clearly stated my views for many years. I've seen blocks of good clean Rosewood advertised as stabilized, and I've never understood that.
EdCaffreyMS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
It's interesting you mentioned Rosewood. That is one of the woods that any reputable commercial stabilizing outfit usually refuses.... that's because it, ironwood, cocobolo, and some varieties of walnut (off the top of my head) are poor candidates for stabilizing. I've also seen supposed "stabilized" fossil ivories, which is another item that established/legit stabilizing businesses usually refuse.
Not long ago I was browsing around the web, and came across some stabilizing outfit I'd never heard of....after looking into it some more, they were "established in 2019" and were offering all three of those woods I mentioned in stabilized format, which tells me that they were/are simply preying on those who don't know any better.
What's funny is that often I will have questions about stabilized materials/stabilizing posted on the KnifeMakerTraining page.....and when I tell them that handle stabilized materials will still shrink/expand, and may not necessarily be "waterproof" based on the agent used, and the material being stabilized..... you'd think I just told them the biggest lie in the universe.
My point being, with the Forged in Fire era, there are tons of scam businesses popping up all the time..... dealing with every aspect of Bladesmithing/Knifemaking, trying to make a fast buck.... and preying on the ignorant. And everybody who can can pick up a hammer thinks they're an expert because of "YouTube University". Not saying there isn't legit content on YouTube....but I have spend MANY hours trying to "unlearn" students who went to that school, as well as trying to help them through all the bad information they assimilated.
Not long ago I was browsing around the web, and came across some stabilizing outfit I'd never heard of....after looking into it some more, they were "established in 2019" and were offering all three of those woods I mentioned in stabilized format, which tells me that they were/are simply preying on those who don't know any better.
What's funny is that often I will have questions about stabilized materials/stabilizing posted on the KnifeMakerTraining page.....and when I tell them that handle stabilized materials will still shrink/expand, and may not necessarily be "waterproof" based on the agent used, and the material being stabilized..... you'd think I just told them the biggest lie in the universe.
My point being, with the Forged in Fire era, there are tons of scam businesses popping up all the time..... dealing with every aspect of Bladesmithing/Knifemaking, trying to make a fast buck.... and preying on the ignorant. And everybody who can can pick up a hammer thinks they're an expert because of "YouTube University". Not saying there isn't legit content on YouTube....but I have spend MANY hours trying to "unlearn" students who went to that school, as well as trying to help them through all the bad information they assimilated.
Ed hits the main points. If the piece is too hot on your lips, it's too hot. I keep a piece of aluminum plate next to my grinder and rest the scales on it when it warms up.
I would stabilize any ivory with out hesitation.
Normally, the first thing is to inspect for cracks. If there are any, and there almost always is, use thin super glue to fill the cracks. Let it wick through the piece. If you buy scales already prepped, the dealer has probably already done that. If the cracks are big, use gap filling super glue and after filling the crack lightly sand over it and the dust will cover up the glue.
Chip break out is a problem when drilling. Back up the piece with scrap wood or something like that.
Some times you need to lightly sand the bark to expose some color. Use 400grit or finer. It's easy to sand too far and lose any color so easy does it.
I normally finish sand at 1000 grit and then buff lightly with compound.
You can cut it easily with a fine tooth band saw (18or higher TPI). It will grind as fast as soft wood.
It will stink to the point that if your shop is in the house or connected, people will come see what you are doing.
I would stabilize any ivory with out hesitation.
Normally, the first thing is to inspect for cracks. If there are any, and there almost always is, use thin super glue to fill the cracks. Let it wick through the piece. If you buy scales already prepped, the dealer has probably already done that. If the cracks are big, use gap filling super glue and after filling the crack lightly sand over it and the dust will cover up the glue.
Chip break out is a problem when drilling. Back up the piece with scrap wood or something like that.
Some times you need to lightly sand the bark to expose some color. Use 400grit or finer. It's easy to sand too far and lose any color so easy does it.
I normally finish sand at 1000 grit and then buff lightly with compound.
You can cut it easily with a fine tooth band saw (18or higher TPI). It will grind as fast as soft wood.
It will stink to the point that if your shop is in the house or connected, people will come see what you are doing.
Doug Lester
Well-Known Member
Take good care of the handle after you make the knife. It's anecdotal but I remember reading a tale of a man who had a fossil ivory handled knife. He was coming back in from hunting mid-day and he absent mindedly tossed his knife and sheath up on the dashboard and drove home. By the time he got home the handle was all cracked.
Doug
Doug
I just ruined a knife by hanging it by the woodstove. The antler noticeably pulled away.
Are we talking museum restoration, taxidermy, or what. What field besides knifemaking could one research to learn how to use this stuff?
I'm glad this thread came up again. I was thinking to hand turn my holes next time I use anything fossil.