Are Hippo teeth durable enough for knife handles?

I have a few, I think filled with expy and without, all have some cracks in them after a few years in use -still good to use. (CLICK LINKS BELOW)

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Anton

Not good ! With Time all ivory crack Wharthog hippo even elephant tusk slabs crack with time

Adam,

Agreed! All my hippo tusks have actually split in two and twisted in the process.

Mark

quote:

Agreed! All my hippo tusks have actually split in two and twisted in the process.

The 2 halves will not split again and can be used assuming split halves are thick enough and to cut cross-sections, cut the desired aperture through their centers and thread them over the haft or shank.

You would however have to lock them in place at the opposite end (threaded) with an appropriate nut which would be counter-sunk in the last slice.

Once locked, grind and sand the handle down to suit your intended design.

It works - my old man built one from a leaf spring in this manner using Hippo ivory over ebony slices - that knife is still around 50+ years later.

Try lathering any kind of ivory with Johnson's baby Oil a couple of times yearly. Knife handles are small enough to actually soak for a day or so. I've never had a discernible problem and have some crafted over 30 years ago.

Good hunting,
Emory

Thanks guys.
I have some teeth and tusks from about twelve years ago that I got with Ian Gibson.
They have not cracked yet and would love to get my great knife maker to put them into a knife.

Good luck mate. Please post photos.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
Thanks guys.
I have some teeth and tusks from about twelve years ago that I got with Ian Gibson.
They have not cracked yet and would love to get my great knife maker to put them into a knife.

All my hippo tusks have split length wise into two halves. I was told by my Taxidermist that the only way to keep them from splitting is to have them encased in a block of clear plastic to display.

The two round tusks that stick straight out between the main fighters are more like elephant ivory, and none of those have cracked, some being 15 yrs old and not treated with anything. Those may be the best for knife handles.

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quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
All my hippo tusks have split length wise into two halves. I was told by my Taxidermist that the only way to keep them from splitting is to have them encased in a block of clear plastic to display.

The two round tusks that stick straight out between the main fighters are more like elephant ivory, and none of those have cracked, some being 15 yrs old and not treated with anything. Those may be the best for knife handles.

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Yes, I plan on using the candle shaped tusks that are in good shape after twelve years.

OK ladies and gents; just a tip for those of you who want to keep your ivory from splitting/cracking etc. When you receive your Warthog or Hippo tusks, the first thing I suggest is to fill them with epoxy. 2 part resin that you can mix and pour (small "Dixie" paper cup works great). Support each tusk so it remains upright (bottom up) while you pour, then allow 24 hours to harden. Once this is done, you usually won't have any problems with splitting. For those of you who've already had your tusks split, place the 2 halves in water and allow to soak. This can take a day or two. Warm water is better than starting with cold. Check occasionally to see if they have returned to original shape (fit back together perfectly). Once this happens, sort out some rubber bands and a thick resin like a 2 part "clay" type resin. Kneed the resin until it's mixed well, then pack into each half but do not overfill. Push the 2 halves back together and squeeze out any excess. Scrape or wipe off any residue from the epoxy (some will wipe off with lacquer thinner). Now wrap the rubber bands tightly and space 1" apart. Allow at least 24 hours to harden. This usually will put the back together and hold in place. It is important that you soak the halves until they return to their original shape. Whenever possible, pour liquid resin inside each tusk when you get them in your hands. This can work for teeth as well. LDK