Ivory question?

[khalu]

I came across a st8 with what the antique store said was ivory scales. however the blade is dead. How do you determine if it is indeed ivory, and how much would one expect to pay for a st8 for just the scales.

[mparker762]

The best way is to get somebody that knows ivory to examine it for you. Bone and ivory can look a bit alike sometimes, and the various makers occasionally made some really good fake ivory out of celluloid. Poke it with a hot needle, if it melts then it's either bone or ivory. Usually bone has pores and ivory doesn't.

[khalu]

Thanks 4 help. I don't think they'll let me poke at it is there any other way, and how much do u think it would be worth if it was ivory.

[joel]

Thanks 4 help. I don't think they'll let me poke at it is there any other way, and how much do u think it would be worth if it was ivory.

I would start by telling us how much it is - as we could tell you much easier if it was a reasonable price. Saying the value of an object we cannot see, with an unknown brand - is not only not possible, but it is just downright bad information.

Think of it like this... if I told you I saw a sports car at a car dealership with worn out tires that would need immediate replacement, and wouldn't tell you the cost of the vehicle, or any further details (condition of the rest of the car, make, model, etc) it'd be impossible for you to answer no? A 1995 mazda miata with worn out tires, paint, engine, tranny, etc isn't gonna be worth much - however a 2005 Jaguar XKR convertable in mint condition - with worn out tires, is going to be worth a pretty penny.

See what I am getting at? If it's $15-20 and you really like the handle, it might be worth the risk TO YOU (again, since I can't see it, I have no idea what to tell you, as crap ivory, or good bone isn't worth much at all).

[mparker762]

Thanks 4 help. I don't think they'll let me poke at it is there any other way, and how much do u think it would be worth if it was ivory.

If the blade is indeed shot, then not much. I've got three ivory-scaled razors with great blades, the average price for them was <$20 apiece. There's not a lot of ivory in scales, and ivory-scaled razors aren't terribly rare.

[khalu]

Thanks guys really it was a no name crappy st8 and i highly doubt it was ivory was just curious how valuable Ivory scales alone would be. I should have phrased it that way in the beginning.

[The Invisible Edge]

The best way is to get somebody that knows ivory to examine it for you. Bone and ivory can look a bit alike sometimes, and the various makers occasionally made some really good fake ivory out of celluloid. Poke it with a hot needle, if it melts then it's either bone or ivory. Usually bone has pores and ivory doesn't.

Oops totally wrong. Celluloid or plastic will melt to the hot needle test, bone and ivory will not. Other ways to tell bone from ivory are that bone has pores in it, often darker as soilage gets in to them. Ivory doesn't have pores as its construction is totally diferent to bone. Also bone and ivory don't curl when scraped. Elephant ivory often has cross-hatching between the striations that can be seen with a 10-15x glass. Other ivory can show whorls from cross-cutting (as in Narwhal ivory). Ivory scales are usually about haf as thin in cross section as celluloid. Ivory often splits at the pins, particularly the bottom pin, and the split will ALWAYS run in the direction of the 'grain'. Bone doesn't do this. Even the very best ivory will have slight imperfections due to it being a natural substance - celluloid is usually just that bit 'too perfect'. Beware heavily sculpted 'ivory' scales - 99/100 will be celluloid and the one remaining will be astronomical in price!

[mparker762]

Oops totally wrong.

Oops, sorry about that. I've got quite a few genuine and celluloid ivory razors and have use the pin test many times, and I just had a brain fart while typing that up.

I agree about being wary of sculpted "ivory". I've got a razor with some of the best imitation ivory i've ever seen, with whorls and various irregularities in the grain. But it was sculpted and just a bit too thick, which sent up warning flags, and it melted with a pin. Too bad, though the razor itself is a dandy.

[Papa Bull]

Ivory scales are nice and I think they'll go up in value with time. Ivory is scarce and ivory handled razors in good condition with unbroken scales are going to only get more scarce. The scales on most ivory razors are so thin that they're easily broken and it's tricky to remove them and repin them without breaking them. Most ivory scales are broken at the wedge pin due to the razor being jammed into the scales too hard putting a great deal of shear stress on the scales, breaking or cracking them. They can still be used and repaired to one degree or another but their value is pretty well shot at that point.

[netsurfr]

I was wondering about why many of the ivory scaled blades that you see appear to be cracked around the wedge pin. Good insight about the scales being so thin...

Steve