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What is scrimshaw?
Scrimshaw -- Painstaking etching on ivory or bone -- is one
of only a few indigenous American crafts. Practiced for centuries by
the Inuit and other native groups along the Northwest Coast, it was adopted by
the Yankee whalemen of the early 1800's. Two- to five-year voyages quickly
became monotonous, so the whalemen turned to working with baleen, whale teeth,
and jawbones, all of which were in abundant supply -- in fact, on many ships,
whale teeth were part of the pay, and were often traded to shopkeepers in port
for goods or services. Common subjects included whaling scenes, ships,
women, and scenes copied from magazines of the day. The origin of the word
is obscure; one interesting etymology is a Dutch phrase meaning "to waste
one's time!" The term "scrimshaw" also applies to
carved or pierced bone or ivory, since much of the whalemen's work was carved
rather than etched.
Treat
your scrimshawed ivory as you would any fine jewelry. Do not get it wet
unnecessarily, because the inks, especially colors, may fade. Keep your
scrimshaw out of bright sun; this dries and cracks the ivory and may fade
certain colored inks. Detergents, shampoo, heavily chlorinated water, and
jewelry cleaning solutions should be avoided, as they turn the ivory surface
dull and remove the etched lines. Dirt and oils may be removed with a cotton
swab moistened in rubbing alcohol and wiped gently over the surface. Do
not scrub, as this will remove some ink from the fine lines. I use a light
coat of warm beeswax rubbed into the ivory to preserve the scrimshaw and keep
the ivory from drying and aging too fast. Waxing should be repeated when the
ivory is cleaned, because the alcohol removes it. If you treat your scrimshaw
with care, it will give you many years of pleasure and may become a treasured
heirloom.
I use naturally-shed antler and
three types of ivory, all of which are obtained legally and do not
endanger living species:
Naturally-shed deer, elk
and moose antler are used for unique collector pieces and desk
accessories, such as pen bases, letter openers with fine hardwood blades
and antler handles, keyrings, fireplace sets, and cribbage boards. This
material is also used for knife scales and handles and other pieces that
get a lot of wear because it is tougher than ivory. Items currently
for sale include cribbage boards,
desk accessories and
keyrings made from antlers
Piano keys -- These are
actually "recycled" elephant ivory, and may be any shade from
brilliant white to yellow-brown. These pieces are quite thin -- less than
1/16 inch -- and often have a wood-like grain. The last US-made keys were
produced in 1953 in Ivoryton, CT., long before CITES or the Endangered
Species Act went into effect. Due to the size limit, roughly 1" x
2" for "tops" or "pads" and 1/2" x 4"
for tails, the size of finished pieces is also limited. These lend
themselves well to pierced work (backed with fine wood veneers) made from
the tops, and bookmarks and sewing rulers (either 4" or 10 cm) made
from the tails (between the black keys). I have
pendants,
earrings, and
bookmarks of piano keys presently
available.
"Fossil"
walrus ivory -- This takes the form of either teeth (shed by the
walrus periodically and washed onshore) or tusk pieces. The latter can be
either "fossil" ivory artifacts found near centuries-old Eskimo
villages, or fresh ivory taken legally by Eskimos and distributed by
the Alaska Fish and Game Commission. Centuries of burial or immersion in
cold seawater color this material a light tan to a deep brown or gray.
Teeth are used whole, or they may be cut in to slabs or crosscuts,
displaying a chatoyancy similar to tiger-eye or star gems. Tusk ivory has
a mealy ("Cream of Wheat") appearance in its center, which can
be very appealing. Thin tooth sections focus transmitted light from one
side into a small area, a phenomenon which I use to advantage by scrimming
lighthouse pendants with actual "lights" in them! View my
available walrus ivory pendants.
Mammoth or mastodon ivory
-- This is truly a fossil ivory, and is rarely found in large pieces
suitable for scrimshaw. Ivory buried underground or in bogs ("mud
ivory") tends to be soft or punky, but Alaskan or Siberian ivory
found in glacial till and preserved by cold is an excellent medium for
scrimshaw. Partial mineralization of this material often makes it quite
hard, and imparts colors ranging from creamy white to dark brown;
occasional pieces with a blue or green hue are found. Pieces often
have a strong pattern or grain. This ivory is at least 10,000 years old;
some pieces may be much older. I have
mammoth ivory pendants, both with
and without silver setting, available now.
I also
have a small selection of thicker elephant ivory pieces.
This has all been obtained legally. I have not purchased any
of this material for several years, since well before the import ban went
into effect in 1990. When the stock runs out, it will not be
replaced. Included are a few hair combs and thimbles, as well as
some other carved or pierced pieces, a couple tusk hollows, and
standard-sized pieces for pendants. This is a beautiful
material, but is somewhat softer than the fossil ivories or those from
marine mammals. It acquires a tan or yellowish patina with age.
This is nothing to be alarmed about; neither can you do much about
it, so enjoy it!
I do
not sell whale ivory through this website because the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
of
1972 and the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 have severely limited its trade within the US.
Teeth registered as having entered the US before 1973 can be
sold across state lines, and then only by a dealer with a permit from the US Fish and
Wildlife Service. Because I do not have one of these, I cannot sell
whale ivory over the internet. HOWEVER, if you have a properly papered tooth, I will
happily do commission work on it for you.
All of my pieces carry a unique
registration number and come with a certificate containing a description
of the piece and its sale date. I keep track of all I sell for your
protection as well as my own.
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Scrimshaw -- Painstaking etching on ivory or bone -- is one
of only a few indigenous American crafts. Practiced for centuries by
the Inuit and other native groups along the Northwest Coast, it was adopted by
the Yankee whalemen of the early 1800's. Two- to five-year voyages quickly
became monotonous, so the whalemen turned to working with baleen, whale teeth,
and jawbones, all of which were in abundant supply -- in fact, on many ships,
whale teeth were part of the pay, and were often traded to shopkeepers in port
for goods or services. Common subjects included whaling scenes, ships,
women, and scenes copied from magazines of the day. The origin of the word
is obscure; one interesting etymology is a Dutch phrase meaning "to waste
one's time!" The term "scrimshaw" also applies to
carved or pierced bone or ivory, since much of the whalemen's work was carved
rather than etched.
Treat
your scrimshawed ivory as you would any fine jewelry. Do not get it wet
unnecessarily, because the inks, especially colors, may fade. Keep your
scrimshaw out of bright sun; this dries and cracks the ivory and may fade
certain colored inks. Detergents, shampoo, heavily chlorinated water, and
jewelry cleaning solutions should be avoided, as they turn the ivory surface
dull and remove the etched lines. Dirt and oils may be removed with a cotton
swab moistened in rubbing alcohol and wiped gently over the surface. Do
not scrub, as this will remove some ink from the fine lines. I use a light
coat of warm beeswax rubbed into the ivory to preserve the scrimshaw and keep
the ivory from drying and aging too fast. Waxing should be repeated when the
ivory is cleaned, because the alcohol removes it. If you treat your scrimshaw
with care, it will give you many years of pleasure and may become a treasured
heirloom.
Naturally-shed deer, elk
and moose antler are used for unique collector pieces and desk
accessories, such as pen bases, letter openers with fine hardwood blades
and antler handles, keyrings, fireplace sets, and cribbage boards. This
material is also used for knife scales and handles and other pieces that
get a lot of wear because it is tougher than ivory. Items currently
for sale include 
Piano keys -- These are
actually "recycled" elephant ivory, and may be any shade from
brilliant white to yellow-brown. These pieces are quite thin -- less than
1/16 inch -- and often have a wood-like grain. The last US-made keys were
produced in 1953 in Ivoryton, CT., long before CITES or the Endangered
Species Act went into effect. Due to the size limit, roughly 1" x
2" for "tops" or "pads" and 1/2" x 4"
for tails, the size of finished pieces is also limited. These lend
themselves well to pierced work (backed with fine wood veneers) made from
the tops, and bookmarks and sewing rulers (either 4" or 10 cm) made
from the tails (between the black keys). I have
"Fossil"
walrus ivory -- This takes the form of either teeth (shed by the
walrus periodically and washed onshore) or tusk pieces. The latter can be
either "fossil" ivory artifacts found near centuries-old Eskimo
villages, or fresh ivory taken legally by Eskimos and distributed by
the Alaska Fish and Game Commission. Centuries of burial or immersion in
cold seawater color this material a light tan to a deep brown or gray.
Teeth are used whole, or they may be cut in to slabs or crosscuts,
displaying a chatoyancy similar to tiger-eye or star gems. Tusk ivory has
a mealy ("Cream of Wheat") appearance in its center, which can
be very appealing. Thin tooth sections focus transmitted light from one
side into a small area, a phenomenon which I use to advantage by scrimming
lighthouse pendants with actual "lights" in them! View my
available 
Mammoth or mastodon ivory
-- This is truly a fossil ivory, and is rarely found in large pieces
suitable for scrimshaw. Ivory buried underground or in bogs ("mud
ivory") tends to be soft or punky, but Alaskan or Siberian ivory
found in glacial till and preserved by cold is an excellent medium for
scrimshaw. Partial mineralization of this material often makes it quite
hard, and imparts colors ranging from creamy white to dark brown;
occasional pieces with a blue or green hue are found. Pieces often
have a strong pattern or grain. This ivory is at least 10,000 years old;
some pieces may be much older. I have
I also
have a small selection of thicker elephant ivory pieces.
This has all been obtained legally. I have not purchased any
of this material for several years, since well before the import ban went
into effect in 1990. When the stock runs out, it will not be
replaced. Included are a few hair combs and thimbles, as well as
some other carved or pierced pieces, a couple tusk hollows, and
standard-sized pieces for pendants. This is a beautiful
material, but is somewhat softer than the fossil ivories or those from
marine mammals. It acquires a tan or yellowish patina with age.
This is nothing to be alarmed about; neither can you do much about
it, so enjoy it!