hilt for comment

David · 27th November 2013, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean

I also don't like too much the prabu hilt especially because the head is disproportionate (too big) to the body.

I think that disproportion was also a big part of what turned me off to this hilt.

Battara · 28th November 2013, 05:09 AM

I too was not turned on by the color nor the massive head of the first one. However the Ganesha is nice.

Also I thought sperm tooth was very white would therefore create a whitening effect. Not seen much sperm whale tooth with patina.

David · 28th November 2013, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Not seen much sperm whale tooth with patina.

Have you looked at much old scrimshaw José? Plenty of patina on those puppies.

Marcokeris · 28th November 2013, 03:17 PM

By the pic the white hilt seems made by moose horn

Jean · 28th November 2013, 06:41 PM

AFAIK the inner core of sperm whale tooth (made from dentin) has a yellowish colour and shows concentric rings but of course this may vary from one specimen to another and depending on the age of the piece.
The 2 attached Bugis hilts from Sulawesi are made from sperm whale ivory I think (other opinions are welcome) and they show a deep yellow patination.
Regards
PS: See the yellow core of the largest (broken) tooth shown by Ganja Iras

A. G. Maisey · 28th November 2013, 08:23 PM

Jean, I have quite a few whale's tooth carvings, a couple are scrimshaws, the others are ornaments, and that is apart from hilts, I also have a number of whale's teeth.

I've just gone and had a look at a few of these. I think it would be true to say that the core of the tooth patinates to a dark yellow, but in a freshly carved tooth without patination this is not the case. Close examination of a freshly carved tooth --- one that has been carved during , say, the last ten years --- does reveal a very, very slight tint of yellow, but not the deep yellow that can be seen in an old carving or an old tooth. You can see this quite clearly in the tips of the group of uncarved teeth above:- the tip, where the core shows through is a deep yellow, the outside of the tooth is whitish --- or as you say, the core of the broken large tooth.

Many years ago I bought a lot of whales teeth that had been recovered from the sea bed in Western Australia. In the time when whaling was acknowledged as a legitimate activity, a whaling station in the area had dumped its rubbish into the sea at this spot. In the 1960's or 1970's, I forget which, divers recovered these teeth and at that time there were a lot of them for sale in Australia. I've been getting them carved and scrimshawed ever since. I also used a few for knife handles when I was involved in custom making.

Jean · 29th November 2013, 08:39 AM

Thank you Alan and then the new Ganesha hilt from Ganja Iras could be made from a recently collected sperm whale tooth and will patinate with time.

For our reference would you identify my 2 Buginese hilts (which are about 100 years old I think) as made from sperm whale tooth or not, or which other alternative?
Regards

28th November 2013, 06:41 PM	#5
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	AFAIK the inner core of sperm whale tooth (made from dentin) has a yellowish colour and shows concentric rings but of course this may vary from one specimen to another and depending on the age of the piece. The 2 attached Bugis hilts from Sulawesi are made from sperm whale ivory I think (other opinions are welcome) and they show a deep yellow patination. Regards PS: See the yellow core of the largest (broken) tooth shown by Ganja Iras Attached Images

28th November 2013, 05:09 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,270	I too was not turned on by the color nor the massive head of the first one. However the Ganesha is nice. Also I thought sperm tooth was very white would therefore create a whitening effect. Not seen much sperm whale tooth with patina.

28th November 2013, 03:17 PM	#4
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	By the pic the white hilt seems made by moose horn

28th November 2013, 08:23 PM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	Jean, I have quite a few whale's tooth carvings, a couple are scrimshaws, the others are ornaments, and that is apart from hilts, I also have a number of whale's teeth. I've just gone and had a look at a few of these. I think it would be true to say that the core of the tooth patinates to a dark yellow, but in a freshly carved tooth without patination this is not the case. Close examination of a freshly carved tooth --- one that has been carved during , say, the last ten years --- does reveal a very, very slight tint of yellow, but not the deep yellow that can be seen in an old carving or an old tooth. You can see this quite clearly in the tips of the group of uncarved teeth above:- the tip, where the core shows through is a deep yellow, the outside of the tooth is whitish --- or as you say, the core of the broken large tooth. Many years ago I bought a lot of whales teeth that had been recovered from the sea bed in Western Australia. In the time when whaling was acknowledged as a legitimate activity, a whaling station in the area had dumped its rubbish into the sea at this spot. In the 1960's or 1970's, I forget which, divers recovered these teeth and at that time there were a lot of them for sale in Australia. I've been getting them carved and scrimshawed ever since. I also used a few for knife handles when I was involved in custom making.

29th November 2013, 08:39 AM	#7
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	Thank you Alan and then the new Ganesha hilt from Ganja Iras could be made from a recently collected sperm whale tooth and will patinate with time. For our reference would you identify my 2 Buginese hilts (which are about 100 years old I think) as made from sperm whale tooth or not, or which other alternative? Regards