Materials

MATERIALS

I am a purist choosing to remain true to tradition by only engraving on natural materials. This includes several types of ivory (definition: mammal tooth) and a variety of other materials that are legally obtained, and do not endanger any living species.

Woolly mammoth tusk is by far my favorite material. The fact that it is at least 10,000 – possibly 80,000 – years old, makes each work of art not only an artefact but an heirloom. It has been buried in the permafrost of Alaska and Siberia where it picked up rich cream, brown and even blue hues from the minerals in the frozen earth. It can be engrave it because It has not been ‘petrified’ or ‘fossilized’, only preserved. It is completely legal and carries no restrictions for commercial purposes as there are no endangered species involved.

The material most often used by the original Yankee scrimshanders was whale tooth. The teeth were a byproduct of the whaling industry and had no commercial value at the time. Since 1973, the whales have been on the endangered species list and covered by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The laws are complicated and vary state by state.

Woolly Mammoth Tusk: The fact that it is at least 10,000 years old (possibly 80,000) makes each work of art not only an artefact but also an heirloom

Less common materials include cow horn, used historically to make engraved powder horns, and tagua nuts, also know as vegetable ivory

Naturally shed deer and elk antler, with the crown burr. The knife is made by Silver Stag, Blaine Washington.

Engraving on ostrich egg creates a rich and multidimensional design

Ox bone makes an interesting engraving surface that is not too porous and brittle, as is most bone. I have knives and boxes made from this material

Fossil walrus tusk is approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years old and is quite distinctive with its oval shape and brown colors. Although walrus are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the fossil tusk is legal to obtain and sell