THE ACCURATERELOADING.COM AFRICAN HUNTING FORUM

Accuratereloading.com    The Accurate Reloading Forums    THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS  Hop To Forum Categories  Hunting  Hop To Forums  African Big Game Hunting    Best way to preserve Elephant Ivory?

Moderators: Saeed
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Best way to preserve Elephant Ivory?
 Login/Join
 
One of Us
Picture of bcolyer
posted
Very simply.....What have you found to be the best way to preserve the moisture in your Elephant tusks. Do you oil them? What??
Thanks.
 
Posts: 505 | Location: Farmington, New Mexico | Registered: 05 January 2008Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of retreever
posted Hide Post
You could give it to me and I would preserve it...

Mike

Ivory Care http://www.si.edu/mci/english/...king_care/ivory.html

http://www.si.edu/mci/english/...king_care/ivory.html


Michael Podwika... DRSS bigbores and hunting www.pvt.co.za " MAKE THE SHOT " 450#2 Famars
 
Posts: 6768 | Location: Wyoming, Pa. USA | Registered: 17 April 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of safari-lawyer
posted Hide Post
Glycerine


Will J. Parks, III
 
Posts: 2989 | Location: Alabama USA | Registered: 09 July 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of bcolyer
posted Hide Post
What about vegatable oil....or clear baby oil??
 
Posts: 505 | Location: Farmington, New Mexico | Registered: 05 January 2008Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of MJines
posted Hide Post
I would ask the question on the Taxidermy forum and let the taxidermists weigh in. My guess is that if anyone knows, they do.


Mike
 
Posts: 21865 | Registered: 03 January 2006Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Don't hang them over or next to the fireplace.


STAY IN THE FIGHT!
 
Posts: 1849 | Location: Southern California | Registered: 25 July 2006Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Michael Robinson
posted Hide Post
Not a thing. Life-Form seems to have already done it.


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13757 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of BaxterB
posted Hide Post
I've heard of people using mineral oil... Call the guys at boonetrading.com and see what they recommend. They sell lots of pre-ban ivory
 
Posts: 7828 | Registered: 31 January 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
In the tropics where humidity is high they do not dehydrate and therefore unlikely to crack.

Be very careful in those cold wintery zones where dehumidifiers and heaters are commonly used - the ivory will dry up to the point of splitting lengthwise (it happened to some of my stash, including hippo tusks).

My remedy was to soak them in a bathtub of warm water for about 24hrs, dry them with a cloth then rub them down with "Dubbin" or any other similar product to "seal the pores" and keep the moisture trapped - don't forget to oil the nerve cavity as well.

Haven't had a repetition of the problem since.
 
Posts: 2731 | Registered: 23 August 2010Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of shakari
posted Hide Post
I've got rid of most of my trophies now because I got sick of all the BS involved in dragging them around the world but FWIW, always used an occasional rubbing of Johnson's (clear) baby oil and it worked a treat...... the only problem is no matter what you use, it seems to stink for a day or three afterwards. Frowner






 
Posts: 12415 | Registered: 01 July 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Another recommendation for Johnson's baby oil.

That was the recommendation I got from Mochaba Taxidermy/tanning in Maun, Botswana - noted some kind periodic treatment was needed, especially in dry conditions. They would know dry...

I haven't noticed an oder when using, but it's about time for another application and I'll check.
 
Posts: 403 | Location: Houston | Registered: 09 November 2004Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of shakari
posted Hide Post
I should have stressed you need to rub it in properly rather than just give it a bit of a wipe.

All that said, I've got an ivory bracelet on my arm that's been there for donkey's years. I never take it off because my hand is too big to get it off and it obviously gets worn in the shower when I swim (both the sea and in pools and I've never given it any kind of treatment whatsoever and it still looks as good as it did all those years ago when I first put it on.

One warning with the Johnson's oil..... be sure to use the clear one and not the pink one because the latter will discolour the ivory........ oh and the same stuff works just as well on warthog ivory.

Emory,

I'll be interested to hear what you think about the smell.... I don't find it particularly offensive but I do reckon it has a certain scent to it.






 
Posts: 12415 | Registered: 01 July 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of bcolyer
posted Hide Post
I love it! Smells like a baby's butt to me - sure beats a skanky smell of root canal!
 
Posts: 505 | Location: Farmington, New Mexico | Registered: 05 January 2008Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Canuck32
posted Hide Post
The first thing we did when the tusks came out of my elephant was to rub them with beeswax candles and seal them up. Second, I still have access to the nerve canal and pour in some baby oil every couple of months. Third, I keep the house humidity above 35% ,which is a real problem in winter up here in Alberta. Fourth, keep them out of direct sunlight.
So far after 5 years there is no cracks and they look as shiny as they were in the bush.


If you have that much to fight for, then you should be fighting. The sentiment that modern day ordinary Canadians do not need firearms for protection is pleasant but unrealistic. To discourage responsible deserving Canadians from possessing firearms for lawful self-defence and other legitimate purposes is to risk sacrificing them at the altar of political correctness."

- Alberta Provincial Court Judge Demetrick

 
Posts: 615 | Location: Alberta | Registered: 17 November 2004Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of SBT
posted Hide Post
I live in Wyoming and we have very little humidity. After about 2 years, both my hippo ivory and my elephat ivory cracked.

The hippo ivory was filled but cracked anyway.

I have two sets of elephant ivory. The set that was mounted on bases and filled have not cracked. The set that has not been mounted and not filled has had one tusk crack in the area of the nerve.

I have since sealed the interior of the nerve with epoxy (pain in the ass) and have used glycerin on the balance. So far so good.

Here is a related thread: http://forums.accuratereloadin...761047771#8761047771


"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
 
Posts: 4781 | Location: Story, WY / San Carlos, Sonora, MX | Registered: 29 May 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Nakihunter
posted Hide Post
I have no experiece on this sbject but I thought I wold shae a piece I saw about the ancient Greek temple Parthenon.

It seems that a lot of ivory pannels were used. Yes PANNELS. They achieved this by soaking it in vinegar and this made the ivory peel in layers!

Just a bit of trivia.


"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick."
 
Posts: 11400 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 02 July 2008Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of jdollar
posted Hide Post
wow, that's really helpful. now all i need is pan large enough to hold 5 foot tusks and enough vinegar to fill it. i really do want the ivory to peel in layers- should look really nice


Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend…
To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP
 
Posts: 13612 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 28 October 2006Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Scriptus
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by shakari:
I should have stressed you need to rub it in properly rather than just give it a bit of a wipe.

I'll be interested to hear what you think about the smell.... I don't find it particularly offensive but I do reckon it has a certain scent to it.


It could be that you associate the scent with certain dens of iniquity that you frequented. The knowledge of rubbing instead of wiping tends to confirm this. Roll Eyes
 
Posts: 3297 | Location: South of the Equator. | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of shakari
posted Hide Post
Damn but that just made me spit coffee all over the keyboard! animal






 
Posts: 12415 | Registered: 01 July 2002Reply With Quote
one of us
posted Hide Post
B,

Here's another vote for baby oil. I also live in dry Wyoming and my ivory cracked too. My taxidermist recommended the baby oil and it seems to have stopped the cracks.

Mark


MARK H. YOUNG
MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES
7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110
Office 702-848-1693
Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED
E-mail markttc@msn.com
Website: myexclusiveadventures.com
Skype: markhyhunter
Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716
 
Posts: 13088 | Location: LAS VEGAS, NV USA | Registered: 04 August 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Use Enough Gun
posted Hide Post
+3. Recommended by a number of my PHs and taxidermists.
 
Posts: 18581 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Scriptus
posted Hide Post
A word of caution gentlemen. Consider that the vegan mob are of the opinion that hunters suffer from various sexual psychosis, it will not do the reputation of hunters much good should some of them be found rubbing their warthog and hippo tusks with clear baby-oil. Roll Eyes
 
Posts: 3297 | Location: South of the Equator. | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of shakari
posted Hide Post
Hey, it might give them ideas that in time will turn them into soft skinned, meat eating hunters. rotflmo






 
Posts: 12415 | Registered: 01 July 2002Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of Kyler Hamann
posted Hide Post
I'm confused. Over the years I've followed several threads like this on the Taxidermy forum and it looked to me that the consensus was to wax the tusks. So I did that as recommended by many people. Now most people on this thread are saying to use Baby Oil. But since I've already waxed them they probably won't absorb any oil. I'm not sure what is the right thing to do and I'd sure like to keep my tusks from cracking.


___________________________
www.boaring.com
_____
 
Posts: 2516 | Location: Central Coast of CA | Registered: 10 January 2002Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
the oil will dissolve any wax.
 
Posts: 1077 | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by jdollar:
wow, that's really helpful. now all i need is pan large enough to hold 5 foot tusks and enough vinegar to fill it. i really do want the ivory to peel in layers- should look really nice

rotflmo They will make awesome curtains, or even a nice throw to drape over the back if the couch.


____________________________________________

"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchett.
 
Posts: 3530 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: 25 February 2005Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of MacD37
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by SBT:
I live in Wyoming and we have very little humidity. After about 2 years, both my hippo ivory and my elephat ivory cracked.

The hippo ivory was filled but cracked anyway.




Hippo tusks are not ivory but are teeth, and are covered in a hard layer dentine which will not shrink and will pop off the core as the core dries and shrinks! The only way to avoid hippo from destroying it's self is to fill the nerve cavity, then incase the whole tooth in a block of clear acrylic while it is fresh before it starts to shrink. This takes away all air so it doesn’t shrink.

Hippo will sooner or later destroy it’s self. I have a pair of 26 inch hippo teeth that are about 20 yrs old that have popped off some dentine from the core in some 4 or five inch strips.

Elephant and wart hog ivory are both real ivory and if not filled and waxed will crack over time. Elephant will slowly yellow, but wart hog will remain white!

I envy those who have the problem saving their elephant ivory! My problem is I've fired exactly two shoots into the heart/lung of one elephant that belonged to someone else to back up a botched frontal brain shot. My sots were for naught, because my friend's second shot found the brain dropping the bull in his tracks!

................................................................................ old


....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1
DRSS Charter member
"If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982

Hands of Old Elmer Keith

 
Posts: 14634 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: 08 June 2000Reply With Quote
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

Accuratereloading.com    The Accurate Reloading Forums    THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS  Hop To Forum Categories  Hunting  Hop To Forums  African Big Game Hunting    Best way to preserve Elephant Ivory?

Copyright December 1997-2023 Accuratereloading.com


Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia

Since January 8 1998 you are visitor #: