Where is the best place to purchase mammoth ivory online and how should I shop for it

LARRYZ10

LARRYZ10

Joined
Feb 6, 2010
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I have seen many knives with mammoth ivory or mammoth ivory "bark" scales. Some of it I love and some of it is rather ugly to me. Is there a reputable place to see actual pieces for sale online at a fair price? Can I sand, drill, and finish mammoth ivory like any other bone or hardwood scale? Recommendations please. Thank you, Larry Lehman
 
While there are many places to buy mammoth ivory, non of it is very cheap - look for $100+ for decent scales. Here is one of the NICE places you can be sure of getting GOOD scales: http://www.markknappcustomknives.com/ergebnis.php?kat=42&uk1=4&uk2=52

Mark posts on this site and you can learn a LOTS from his threads.

edit: forgot to comment on the working of mammoth ivory. Yep, you can work mammoth ivory just like elephant ivory: http://www.silversmithing.com/1ivory.htm

I personally prefer the inter mammoth ivory rather than the bark. The inner will polish and really look good - even better than elephant ivory to me. Elephant ivory is a pure creamy white, while mammoth ivory will have anywhere from hints of brown/tan to a nice chocolate brown due to the minerals in the ground the tusk lay in for thousands of years. Sand gently to 1500 grit (or 2,000), then just "touch" with soft buffing wheel - WOW!!!! Beautiful

Ken H>
 
Charles Turnage is a reputable dealer. He's nice to buy from at shows, where you can see exactly what you're looking at. His website is functional but cumbersome, but he does have pictures of each individual set of scales. I've bought from him maybe 5 or 7 times.
www.fineturnage.com
 
Mother of Pearl Company puts a lot of mammoth in The Exchange. Other makers sell it there, too. The stuff from MOP is mid quality and low priced. Some of the mammoth offered by the chaps in The Exchange is stunning....but expensive.

One of the best places to get mammoth is at a knife show. Not a gun show, but a dedicated custom knife show that the dealers go to.

What size scales are you needing? The price goes up sharply as the size does. You can buy a bundle of four sets of folder scales for $100, and one single bowie size set for $800.
 
Size AND color can jack the price. Blue and green will cost more than brown or tan generally speaking. I remember back when Don Hanson was testing for MS at Blade in 2007, he had one of his sleek bowie knives with red mammoth scales which I had never seen before and don't recall seeing many times since. This was before the prices got REALLY crazy and he told me that he paid like $400 for those scales back then. I shudder to think what they would cost today!!!:eek:
 
I have bought and used a lot of mammoth ivory. I still think Charles Turnage is the best place to go to. If the ivory's surface colouring is very thin, it becomes most difficult to work with . It is important to size the thickness from the bottom of the scales to fit the closely pre shaped bolsters. Thin colouring means the colouring will be gone with just a touch of even a 400 grit belt or a few hand strokes of sand paper. Maintaining the color and character of the ivory is what it's all about.
Frank
 
Thank you all for the suggestions. I will feel a lot better parting with some money for some nice scales now. I did not know where to start and Bladeforums members come once again to my aid. Thanks everyone!. Larry
 
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