I have a new set of elephant ivory grips coming for a pistol that will become my everyday carry. Is there any way to speed up the aging or darkening of the ivory so the grips will not be bright white? I know many people but their elk ivory in a can of snuff to obtain an aged look.

Thanks,

Tommy C.

A friend of mine used to do allot of scrimshawing and he would soak ivory in strong tea or coffee to age it.

tea, coffee, or boiled chewing tabacco...

the makers use a torch, but i wouldn't

jeffe

Skoal Straight long cut is some Good Stuff!

quote:

boiled chewing tabacco...

I have heard this is the old standby. I also heard it works better than tea. Something else is in this mix though, and I can't remember right now, but it was not using water as the solvent.

I have also heard of use of something real similar to shoe polish thinned down.

I don't think pre-matured ivory looks the same I have seen none that really matches old ivory, just gets close and excellerates the aging.

Of the aged grips I have seen chewing tobacco looked the best. I agree with Jeff I don't like the burned look.

What to soak the tobbaco in is bugging me though, glycerin maybe? It was something that doesn't damage the ivory but is more readily absorbed, I am pretty sure it wasn't alcohal as that dries out the ivory....Hmmm that will bug me tonight.

You might also try some really thinned out linseed oil with a tad of gold/brown dye in it.

Oil. Hmmm, no it was not linseed. The reason I am thinking glycerin is I have something to do with skin, and hair stuff in my head, and ivory is tissue and similar.

Damn must be either my job or alzheimer disease setting in.

quote:

Originally posted by schromf:
Oil. Hmmm, no it was not linseed. The reason I am thinking glycerin is I have something to do with skin, and hair stuff in my head, and ivory is tissue and similar.

Damn must be either my job or alzheimer disease setting in.

Okay...so rub some brown Grecian Formula on it... Or better yet...some sunless tanning cream!

Baby oil is what we use for rejunevating walrus and narwhal ivory so maybe just add a few dregs from a spitoon .......! ~Arctic~