Inlays with real ivory (anybody done em?)

[Adirondack Jack]

I got hold of some real ivory courtesy of a friend who salvaged some off of the keys of a 100 yr old piano that was junked.  Some of them have some real nice grain pattterns, and of course they are aged nicely.  Anybody ever work with real ivory?  How would ya think best to cut it, and how about polishing?  I did the test, scraping the back side and putting the flame to the scrapings, smells like burning hair, so yes, it is real ivory.  I think it'd be dandy to use as inlays in knife scales, but don't wanna waste pieces figuring out how not to work the stuff, as I only got a few.

[Dave Cole]

I have used quite a bit, mostly mammoth ivory, but have used elephant ivory as well.It cuts like stag antlers, use a finer tooth blade for cutting it.The main thing with ivory as other natural products is not to get too hot when working it as you can induce cracks and warping.If your power sanding always use fresh belts and keep your speed down.If drilling always have a wood backer to prevent blowout.When using as knife scales, especially when you want to keep the color and texture showing always sand the backside only, sanding the front side too much will remove color, so keep sanding there to a minimum.I usually take the sanding down to 600 grit or finer, for real nice go to 1000-1500 grit, before buffing.I buff with a power buffer, soft flannel wheel with white rouge and again go lightly and don't bulid heat.
Real elephant ivory is not hard to find, there is a dealer just North of me, but it can get pricey.Dave

These are two knives I recently finished and while I know they are not what the mods want to see in here, they do show uses of ivory on knives.
This one features Fossil Walrus Ivory handle and a Mammoth ivory inlay on the sheath


This one has Mammoth ivory scales and inlay on sheath

[Adirondack Jack]

Thanks for the tips.  Oh, BTW, nice work!

[GunClick Rick]

I always wanted to enlay my 92 stock with it like dots with brass tacks or use mother of pearl like on guitar necks.There is a thrift shop down the road with about 4 old old parlor pianos,they never sell and i don't know what they do with them they want like 100.00 each for them.They look like they been sittin in a barn for a long time.

[Kid Terico]

A Jack part of Daves expertise is in inlay. He has done beautiful inlay of all kinds for years. KT

[rebsr52339]

I acquired about 40 pieces of piano ivory about 30 years ago and have used them for inlays where ever I could. Photo shows a Bucks county Ky rifle I made in the 70s and still shoot. The ivory is in-laid into the toe plate on the bottom of the butt stock. Sorry it is not an old knife but you can do a lot with the old ivory. I cut it with a xacto razor saw and then file to shape.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

   Dave Cole, you da man, as always pard, beautiful examples of your work, thanks for the looks see, and the explanation on ivory, it was very interesting.

                              tEN wOLVES 

[GunClick Rick]

That's what i am talkin bout Reb,damn nice buddy!!!!

[rebsr52339]

I'll tell you Rick if 44+ of those keys still have the ivory on them I would buy them. At about $2 each it is a good buy. I'll trade you some turquoise cabs for some.     

[GunClick Rick]

I was thinkin that last night~Thought i could buy the dang things,take them apart and sale the fancy scrooled wood for other uses,recycle the metal parts,and save the ivory keys for slabs,them thing got good wood..The lids would be good for naking chests and such.. Got a low rider trailor i can use?

[Cliff Fendley]

I do a lot of inlays in my knife handles. I've used Mammoth ivory, and sometimes Elephant since some small pieces of that are still floating around large enough for inlays. You can also use the linear paper micarta to get the same look with no worries of cracking.
Here is the handle and inlay of a boot knife a made for my wife for Christmas a couple years ago, I also used mountain lion fur for the sheath to match the scrim.


Sorry for the pic, it's in a case in the living room, had to use the flash and the mirror polished blade looks black in the pic.

I'm thinking about doing some inlays on the stock of my 73 but just haven't figured out what I want to do yet.

[Cliff Fendley]

Here I did a mammoth ivory inlay in a scrap piece of 440C stainless steel and then shaped it into a pendant for a necklace. It was for my wife on her last birthday.

[Adirondack Jack]

I was thinkin that last night~Thought i could buy the dang things,take them apart and sale the fancy scrooled wood for other uses,recycle the metal parts,and save the ivory keys for slabs,them thing got good wood..The lids would be good for naking chests and such.. Got a low rider trailor i can use?

I bought a beautiful old pump organ once.  The keys turned out to not be ivory after all, but some sort of early resin (probably  made from soy or milkweed I was told) and the walnut "gingerbread" I wanted to use for other stuff was so dry and frail I ended up junking nearly all of it.

[GunClick Rick]

Dang Cliff that knife is purtyfull

[Cliff Fendley]

Thanks Rick, my wife has it in a case on the wall. I need to get a good picture of it and the sheath.