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The following is a description of ivory and the items that may be mistaken for ivory.
ANTLER
Antlers are hollow and the outer surface is harder than bone. They have been used for a long time in knife and dagger handles and shade from a deep brown to a light yellow.
TEST
Red Hot Pin (Touch to Surface) = No effect
Knife (Draw Across Surface) = Light scratching
Acetone (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
Sulphuric Acid (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
BONE
The surface of bone is duller than that of polished ivory. Bones are hollow and a cross section will reveal a grain resembling the black dots of beard stubble. The grain along the long section will display brown or black streaks.
TEST
Red Hot Pin (Touch to Surface) = No effect
Knife (Draw Across Surface) = Light scratching
Acetone (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
Sulphuric Acid (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
IVORY
Ivory comes from the tusk of the elephant. A cross section of reveals a crisscross pattern which is unique to ivory. Along the long side of the tusk, ivory will display a wood grain pattern. It has a soft sheen due to the oils it contains.
TEST
Red Hot Pin (Touch to Surface) = No effect
Knife (Draw Across Surface) = Light scratching
Acetone (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
Sulphuric Acid (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
PLASTIC
Several plastic materials have been made to resemble ivory. One in particular, ivorine uses alternating dark and light layers of plastic to attempt the grain pattern of ivory. This pattern is too regular for real ivory. All plastics do not have the weight or density of real ivory. Plastics are a poor conductor of heat and will feel warm to the touch.
TEST
Red Hot Pin (Touch to Surface) = Smoke or visible hole
Knife (Draw Across Surface) = Deep cut
Acetone (Apply Drop to Surface) = Begins to dissolve
Sulphuric Acid (Apply Drop to Surface) = Unknown
TEETH
Hippopotamus - Yhe hardest of all ivory-like substances. The surface is a bright white and upon examination the grain runs in one direction and is wavy.
Whale - Most often used in scrimshaw. Items carved from whales teeth will display a striated pattern to the grain of the tooth.
TEST
Red Hot Pin (Touch to Surface) = No effect
Knife (Draw Across Surface) = Light scratching
Acetone (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
Sulphuric Acid (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
TUSKS
Boar - Boar's tusks are small, usually the entire tusk is used in the carving. Boar tusks make a very fine white 'ivory' and was a particular favorite of one school of netsuke carvers.
Narwhal - Made from an endangered species of whale and can often be found in lengths from six to eight feet. It is seldom cut into sections and was used in walking canes when left intact and objects such as netsukes when cut into smaller pieces. Narwhal tusks are hollow and have a graining resembling that of tree bark.
Walrus - Carved from walrus tusks and will have a mottled appearance due the interior of the tusk being harder than the exterior. These are usually used in netsuke and dagger handles.
TEST
Red Hot Pin (Touch to Surface) = No effect
Knife (Draw Across Surface) = Light scratching
Acetone (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
Sulphuric Acid (Apply Drop to Surface) = No effect
VEGETABLE "IVORY"
Made from a palm tree in South America and is softer than either bone or ivory. The grain pattern is circular and indistinct. The surface is dull and was used mainly in the production of small items, such as buttons.
TEST
Red Hot Pin (Touch to Surface) = Unknown
Knife (Draw Across Surface) = Unknown
Acetone (Apply Drop to Surface) = Unknown
Sulphuric Acid (Apply Drop to Surface) = Brown stain
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