I have just received the tusks from the elephant bull that I shot in Zim in May. Any suggestions for the most effective method of cleaning off the natural staining together with the red permanent marker pen that the parks department kindly used to record the weight and length ?

Rob, not sure about the marker you might try plain rubbing alcohol. On the staining, my $0.02, I would not clean that off. I think that adds to the character. Congratulations on getting your tusks, they are pretty cool huh.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
On the staining, my $0.02, I would not clean that off. I think that adds to the character.

I agree

Hi Mike
Yep - I think they're great.
I have'nt made my mind up about the staining thing yet.

I'm surprised that you colonial cousins want to leave things "natural" having occasionally viewed one or two of your female photogtaphic models (purely by accident of course)

Since I'm a fifth generation Californian I figured I better speak up:

R.Jolly,
Before anyone sees the tusks you must immediately enhance them with synthetic materials to triple the length & diameter and at least quadruple the weight.

Seriously, don't you DARE remove the staining! (I'm really trying hard to avoid a dental hygene joke here). I can see removing the marking pen but why did you bother bringing the tusks home if you're going to make them look like replacement plastic tusks???

PLEASE show off all those stains, cracks, wear marks, etc. that the elephant earned.

Just my two cents.

Kyler

If they used the red marks-a-lot permanent marker the best thing to do is write right over the top of it with the same type of marker and wipe it off with a clean white cloth or paper towel.

Markers have volatile solvents in then to keep the ink liquid in the marker, The solvents evaporate when it gets into the open air abd that is what "dries" the ink.

When you write over the top of the old marker it puts those solvents back on it and then you can wipe it off easier while it's wet.

They are your tusks from your Ele and you get to do with them as you wish. I opted to leave the stains on mine and have never regretted it, now some 12 years after.

Ya-know.. I alway's wondered, not that I'll ever have to worry about it.. Can you sell your legal tusk's and what do you think they'd go for??

See the AR Post here on elephant hide. Same answer applies to tusks. That'll answer your question.

Hi Rob, yea I agree, in fact I made sure my taxidermist did NOT remove the stains. I figured the ele spent some 40-odd years getting them that way, who am I to "clean" them. Call it "character". When I look at my tusks, it is the coloration that always catches my eye first.

Reg the marker, we have something called "GooGone" (citrus cleaner) that is effective at removing gunk w/o harming the surface, or perhaps nail polish remover.

Another vote for leaving the character staining

I agree with others and besides a good cleaning, I would not try and get the stains off. Bleach, etc. might even harm the tusks which would worry me alot more than any discolorations!

What about posting some pics of your tusks?
It would be nice to see them..

Congratulations

R.Jolly,

I agree that leaving the tusks as is is the way to go. They are yours of course to do with as you choose but scrubbing or bleaching would in my mind remove the character. Very white tusks look weird to me.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C:
in fact I made sure my taxidermist did NOT remove the stains. I figured the ele spent some 40-odd years getting them that way, who am I to "clean" them. Call it "character". When I look at my tusks, it is the coloration that always catches my eye first.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
If they used the red marks-a-lot permanent marker the best thing to do is write right over the top of it with the same type of marker and wipe it off with a clean white cloth or paper towel.

Markers have volatile solvents in then to keep the ink liquid in the marker, The solvents evaporate when it gets into the open air abd that is what "dries" the ink.

When you write over the top of the old marker it puts those solvents back on it and then you can wipe it off easier while it's wet.

CORRECTION....write over it with white board marker which has the solvent and is water soluble. Then you can rub it off. Even better is to clean it with nail polish remover.

Please leave the staining. It is ridiculous to see the cleaned tusks in some trophy rooms built up in the 70s. Looks artificial and after all we want big (=old) tusks and consequently this should be seen.

Of course, the marker has to go away.

I left my ivory looking natural as well...just wish I had not hit his right tusk with my second shot, dammit.

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
They are your tusks from your Ele and you get to do with them as you wish. I opted to leave the stains on mine and have never regretted it, now some 12 years after.

A+++
got two sets with stains would not have them any other way

Another vote for the stains.
While glassing some distant bulls at Makuti last year, Buzz made the comment to me that "white is light" was something the old ivory hunters said, imlying that white color=young age=light weight.

It will take you 20 minutes to remove a lifetime of character from those tusks....and you'll never get it back. Please don't.

Be very careful in trying to remove the marker!!. . Tusks are highly porus. The people to write on them with markers are goddam idiots. If you put much solvent on them you will drive the market deeper into the tusk and make an even bigger mess. Lacquer thinner or acetone are usually good solvents for markers (assuming that it is permanent) I would try this in a very small spot and see what you get. I ultimately had to grind / polish it off and I have a finishing shop in my garage with access to every solvent and tool known to man.

On cleaning up the staining, I agree with everyone else but a light rubbing with fine scotchbright will get the surface dirt off and leave the character

Ok - sorry took me a while to arrange a photograph.
Here are the tusks in qestion. Would you all still leave all of the staining or perhaps just clean up a bit. The broken tusk has lots of character, but also a lot of rather "unhealthy" looking stain. Views please.
If anyone missed the report of where they came from this is the link.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...571051011#1571051011

Again....keep all the character.

Rob, just like the grain in the wood of that beautiful double, the "stains" are part of the character of the tusks and the story of your elephant. I'd do everything in my power to preserve them. But it's your ele! Cheers, Bill

NICE!!

They are some beautiful tusks. Is the double a Searcy??

I would remove the red marker and leave the tusks alone otherwise. I think you should at least leave them uncleaned for a while. If you get them all cleaned up you will not be able to ever get them back to the way they were.

You can leave them alone, mount them in your house and see how you feel about them. If you want to have them all polished up and supermodel teeth white after looking at them for a year then you can do it.

But just like other posters said, they are yours and you can do what you want with them.

Once again congrats on a nice ele, I hope I can get a nice one some day like that.

Don't know if this will be of any use to you, but my wife uses this "magic eraser" for getting crayon/marker/scuff marks off our walls, you can buy it at virtually any dept store and it was the first thing I thought of when I saw your tusk picture. I don't believe it contains any chemicals and I have to tell you, the little buggers really work. Hope it helps.

+1 more vote for leaving the stain on a very nice set of tusks.

Leave them be in their natural state - it adds character but try and be rid of the red marker and maybe advise Buzz to convince the Zim Game Dept, authorities to mark the details (if they have to) in the cavity instead.

I would leave the "stains" on the tusks.

Very nice. Pretty well matched and tons of character.

Thanks for the photo.

Kyler

personally love the stain , you would t have asked though unless you wanted to remove the stain , they are your tusks and almost nobody on this forum will ever see them ..

awesome tusks though well done

Rob-
Thanks for posting the link to your report. I really enjoyed re-reading it. Well done, and congratulations again.

Those are great. I agree the red marker should come off the end of the tusks somehow, but leave the natural staining. Congrats!

Leave the stains, you wont regret it.

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:


Leave the stains, you wont regret it.

BTW,
That is an awesome pic.

quote:

BTW,
That is an awesome pic.

Gotta love F2.8

Anton,

That's a trophy of several life times. Great photography too.
Arjun

Lord yes!!! Stains intact! It preserves the character of the tusks!!! That said do with it as you wish as you paid for the hunt. My 2 cents.

Brett

OK - the marker goes and the stains stay !
The rifle is the basic model Krieghoff 470 NE
Thanks for everyones input.
Looking forward to this years hunt in May.
It can't possibly be more enjoyable than last year - - can it ??????????