Harry, before you start burning holes in your bone (which is the most probable material here) or, heaven forbid, catching fire to or exploding some possible bakelite replacement
, try making some better photos for us to examine.
It is one thing to have to restore nice antique pieces that have been damaged over time by abuse and the environment. It's another to have to repair
your own damage. I think many of us have been aware of this hot pin method for many years, but it is not something i would personally pursue on a piece i cared about and there are ways to determine ivory from bone without having to damage you collections .
