Ivories....post them up...and what does the good stuff really look like?

Mineral oil is best or so I've been told, not a lot just a drop or two rubbed in. The mellow patina the the beautiful old sets exhibit will be gone with the removal of just a few thousands. It is easy to work and polishes up quickly as long as you progress through the grits in order, miss one and you will only have to go back again increasing the chance of breaking a corner or edge down.

I have tusks and mineral oil applied sparingly and hand rubbed in a couple times a year to help prevent drying and cracking is what I've been told by African Professional Hunters and US taxidermist.

I'm in awe of the beauty of the pistols and revolvers shown in this thread.

We found an old 375H&H soft point in the nerve cavity of one of my tusks. The damage caused a couple of "panels" of the ivory that would be in the tusk socket to break free. The tusk still stands in its brass and iron wood base without the chips. The chips are certainly big enough for a 1911, maybe too thin for a revolver. Everything is in storage, but I will have to try to dig out the chips to see if they're usable.

I've always wondered how the Hunter whose bullet we found in the nerve faired.
 
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Little late to the game with these Ivories but had to dig them out of safe. These Colt 45's (1882 & 1891) belonged to my Father-in-law who picked them up sometime during the 1930's. Not sure when the ivories were added but know they were handled a lot and revolvers nickeled more than once. He was part of the Wild West shows and trick shooting for many years.
Do y'all think they were stained at some point or does aging cause the darker orangish color?
Thanks for opportunity to show them.
Happy New Year!
Ray
 

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model 27-1
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ivories on colt
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on a 1903
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another colt commander
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Well, that made me feel quite inadequate.
Oh my word, I have one set of ivories, but you guys...
 
Some of the carved sets I wonder if they were specifically made for lefties ?

The bull on many/most IMHO are on the right side but some are on the left.
Typically if your right handed you would have the carving on the right grip. I've known guys who like the look, but not the feel of carved ivory who just put the carving on the other grip. I'm a lefty and have had grips carved that way. I've also bought several guns with the left grip panel carved. I've seen an outsized number of carved grips for lefties given were only about 15% of the population.
 
Quite a thread, great photos that I keep going back to. Mike how bout breaking out the nice stuff ! Kidding!! Sure would like a couple close ups of the Lightweights cylinder pin lock, a very cool feature that's nearly hidden in the pic.
 

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