Ivory handled Newstead spatha

[XorX]

Elephant ivory is not totally illegal. In Germany it is allowed to own and trade with old ivory imported before the CITES-treaty was sealed in the late `70s or so.
there is a trader for this in Erlangen / Bavaria: http://www.elfenbeinwaren.de/home.html

[Doc]

I know of CITES. However, I know someone who works at US customs and he mentioned that without complete proof of origin and date, the elephant ivory is just not going to pass through. I looked into this more than 6 months ago for a project I had in mind. Not only that, but he also told me that even with proof, it still will be a hassle because the data can be falsified and there are many fake dates floating around for the purpose of passing off never ivory for old.

I think that the safest bet would be mammoth.

Larry, I do not think its going out of style any time soon. I just read there is word of making mammoth ivory illegal does not mean it will happen.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

2 questions:

1: Why not just clone the ivory in blocks and then use a 3D printer?
2: Where the hell do you get mammoth tusks?

[Robert]

Faux ivory is just that, a layer of different coloured polymers done in such a way as to resemble the layered structure of ivory.

Read the artical of National Geografic, tell you all about where and how the mammoth ivory is found.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Yeah but you can clone Ivory using real Ivory, they've gotten to the points where they can clone a sheet of any tissue they want. Then you put the ivory into a 3D printer and you have what you need.

[Vindex]

They can clone anuthing they want - for a price.

If there's faux ivory already available for a fraction of the price I can't see the point. Mammoth ivory, if sourced correctly, is at least a natural resource which has to be more authentic than anything else.

[M. Demetrius]

Where the hell do you get mammoth tusks?

Gee, I dunno...unimaginably gigantic boars, or, well mammoths?
:-D :-D

[Vitruvius]

Ave'y'all
I just remembered an issue of Woodworking magazine, (just not which one.....Old Timer's Disease, y'know...lol) about usiing, believe it or not.....PVC pipe......It's a thought!
Salve,
Vitruvius............aka Larry Mager

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Where the hell do you get mammoth tusks?

Gee, I dunno...unimaginably gigantic boars, or, well mammoths?
:-D :-D

They obviously grow on Dolphins.

Anyways, I wouldn't be surprised if the Romans had used mammoth tusk; getting Ivory off a skeleton is a lot easier than killing an elephant.

[Robert]

Good grief! This is getting totaly silly! No Roman ever ventured into Siberia and if you had read the NG article which was kindly linked it would be obvious that killing an elephant, or better still, getting the Africans to do it for you, is infinitly easier than digging up frozen tusks of dubious quality .... Mammoth ivory also lacks many properties fresh ivory has, like its sheen and resilliance. It is really hard to find pieces of this quality.

[damianlz]

Robert, this pieace has absolutely inspired me to look into Mammoth ivory more, would you recommend its use given how hard it was to get a piece fo that quality, also have you had experience with faux ivory, if so given the two options which would you recommend?

I need to gush, this piece is exquisite and was the discussion point of everyone in my world for the last 5 days - bravo to you sir!

[Doc]

I agree, that the piece of mammoth ivory that Robert or rather his colleague procured is a more rare piece since it does have that sheen and white color that you would expect from fresh ivory.

[Robert]

@Damian There is no comparing the two, really. Faux ivory looks nice, but it remains acryl. Real ivory, be it mammoth or elephant, has a pattern which is not replicated in faux ivory, the Schreger lines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreger_line . So even top class faux ivory has the growth line patterns (like rings in a tree) well done, but misses these characteristic lines.

The quality of mammoth ivory is very dependant on the conditions the tusk has been buried in (and how it was treated after having been found). When nearer to the surface, it is subject to thawing and will crack, if in an environment rich in minerals, mineralisation will take place, both changing the structure due to the fossilisation proces and the colour.

In the case of this sword, a piece of tusk was used which had remained in very good condition. Only a small portion of the tusk was used, as a spatha handle does not need all that much, if carefully cut.

[Robert Vermaat]

I always assumed that the Romans used unicorns for ivory? :whistle:

I wouldn't be surprised if the Romans had used mammoth tusk; getting Ivory off a skeleton is a lot easier than killing an elephant.

On the other hand, elephant ivory was a fairly common trade item, and sub-Saharan Africa had plenty of it. Whereas woollly mammoth skeletons were far away in Siberia, not your usual trading partner. Maybe we should test some Roman ivory?
How about walrus?

[Robert]

Walrus teeth are very small compared to elephant tusks and the Romans would have to trade for them with the Inuit of the far North. Sorry guys, but common sense dictates Romans got their ivory from Africa, along with lions, leopards and all sorts of fancy beasts. Ivory was a commonly traded commodety as has been throughout the ages till in de 1970 someone decided hunting the elephant to extinction may not be a very good idea.