Justin,

It's my preference to have the outer layer of the Ivory as the finished surface with little or no nerve core showing on the finished knife. I seem to always find it necessary to grind/sand into the pretty outer layer in order to get the handle shaped. But I pick my Walrus Ivory with a particular knife in mind or a particular size knife in mind and set a goal to "read" the piece correctly and make best use of this rare material.

I decided not to use Ivory until not too long ago. I felt like I should wait until my knives would command a price level in which I could recoup the cost. Plus I want to be able to do work worthy of it.

Hi Lin, Thanks for your reply. I figured the outer layer is what you want, wow that makes it really hard to find a good piece. Of the several online sources I have seen 2-3 usable pieces in the past year, typically they look like they would require fairly significant removal of material to get the shape right. I'll keep my eyes open and be selective. Do you buy ivory on-line or only in person. If in person are there sellers at shows such as Blade, if on-line is there a source you would recomend?

I agree with, waiting, I'm currently not getting a whole lot more than the cost of the ivory for my knives, but I am nearing the point when I will start making my test knives. I figure if there is ever a time to bite the bullet and spend a little on materials this is it. And if I pass, I might recoup that investment.

Thanks again, Justin

Justin,

I would agree completely with Lin if the ivory has an attractive color to the bark. If it is a piece that is still mainly white in color then I like the look of the interior of the walrus and don't mind cutting/grinding into it. It is what I call tapioca. Some may not like it as well but I love the love of it. Purely a subjective viewpoint.

Gary

I am with Gary. I do like the look of the interior or tapioca as they call it. As long as it is a solid white piece. For colored pieces I like to leave as much exterior as possible, with no tapioca showing. Like Lin I choose the piece for the knife I have in mind. Yes you can get walrus at shows such as Blade. You just have to be faster than Don Hanson. I get most of my walrus from Bill Miller from Missouri. He is at the Little Rock show, Branson Hammer In and show, and Blade. I do like to see it in person, as opposed to buying online.

Brion

Thanks to all of you for your replies. Given the high cost and uncertainty of on-line purchases I might just have to wait till I can start going to some shows.

Brion, it is Don Hanson's work that has me thinking about using walrus in the first place, and I want to say I've seen him acting pretty quick on some of the forums too.

One more question, most pieces I see seem to have a curve to them. Obviously wanting to keep the handle symetrical do you risk hitting the core re-shaping it, buy a larger piece with more material to shape, or leave it curved?

Thanks again Justin.

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One more question, most pieces I see seem to have a curve to them. Obviously wanting to keep the handle symetrical do you risk hitting the core re-shaping it, buy a larger piece with more material to shape, or leave it curved?

Justin,

This is why most like to buy their ivory first hand. The same rules will apply as when buying stag (if the curvature works for the knife that you have in mind, fine). Otherwise, keep shopping.

Gary

I've never been to a full scale knife show so my only purchases have been via the net. I truly admire the material and completely trust some of the sellers (but not all) I've met via cyberspace and knife forums. They often show photos of the material from multiple angles (at least two sides and an end shot) and offer complete refunds if you wish to make a return after inspecting the material upon receipt. I agree, it would be difficult to source a specific piece for a specific knife design this way (or even in person). It is easier when buying this way if the knife design can arise from the piece.

The main guy I've purchased from (as does ocassionally the aforementioned Don Hanson) is Mark Knapp in Alaska. He has accepted my return of a piece of two without question. Part of why I like his pieces is that he works them to presentation quality so much. I would be quite anxious (at my present skill and experience level) at buying this expensive material when it is too much in the rough. You should be able to reach him through his website. In case you haven't seen his listings, here's a link to one he did last month. You might want to check in with him and get on his mailing list as he usually sends out emails notifying folks when he puts stuff up for sale.

Thank you Phil, I had not heard of him and he has some really nice ivory. Good to know he is good about returns.