Woolly Mammoth grips

[ralph7]

From time to time I'll see grips made from this material and it amazes me how reasonably
priced they seem to be for something that should be so rare.
The woolly mammoth went extinct 2,000 years before Christ!
For those that may know, why is this material not priced to the moon, if it
is indeed legit?

 

[schutz5]

Grips that I have seen advertised by respected 1911 grip makers are not exactly cheap. It's reasonable to expect more material for revolver target grips,so higher price. Maybe less so for service grips?

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Have seen them on some really nice High End Knives.
Don’t recall Cheap!

 

[RM Vivas]

In a very textbook example of governmental overreach, here in NY mammoth ivory is frowned upon because the state has no test to differentiate between current elephant ivory versus thousand year old mammoth ivory. Thus, they chose to just regulate all of it.

Best,
RM Vivas

 

[THE PILGRIM]

You can always switch to Oosik.
Fossilized Walrus Penis Bone.

 

[ralph7]

Have seen them on some really nice High End Knives.
Don’t recall Cheap!

Only cheap in comparison to ivory sold from non extinct elephants.
Prices seem similar.

 

[poledorus]

I have read that the mammoth ivory is not as stable as elephant ivory, and that it might not hold up under heavy use. What's the truth in this? Hippo tooth also has a long history of use. I know of no prohibition on its present use, but have not seen any of late in supply. Cheers

 

[sceva]

I have read that the mammoth ivory is not as stable as elephant ivory, and that it might not hold up under heavy use. What's the truth in this? Hippo tooth also has a long history of use. I know of no prohibition on its present use, but have not seen any of late in supply. Cheers

Depends on the tusk. Even buried in the permafrost for thousands of years many have held up remarkable well. The surface ivory, where the colors and character are found is often stabilized and some is epoxied to a backing (carbon fiber?) for strength. The interior ivory is often quite solid and stable with a creamy white look that can be hard to tell from elephant ivory if it's schreiger lines are not visible. As far as a test; the schreiger lines will tell the story as will the look (usually) but the various states either don't want to train enforcement people or they just want to take the easy road and ban it all so they don't even need to try to determine the type. In Illinois it is illegal to buy or sell (but you can own it) ivory no matter the source. Got to protect those 10,000 year old Mammoth remains you know.

This is Mammoth Ivory

 

[BillBond]

I read somewhere that there is a lot of Mammoth on the market due to new deposits being found in the artic that are being exposed as the glaciers melt due to global warming.

 

[chrishayes]

This is some 15K yr old mammoth that came from Russian tundra about 9 yrs ago.

 

[poledorus]

Depends on the tusk. Even buried in the permafrost for thousands of years many have held up remarkable well. The surface ivory, where the colors and character are found is often stabilized and some is epoxied to a backing (carbon fiber?) for strength. The interior ivory is often quite solid and stable with a creamy white look that can be hard to tell from elephant ivory if it's schreiger lines are not visible. As far as a test; the schreiger lines will tell the story as will the look (usually) but the various states either don't want to train enforcement people or they just want to take the easy road and ban it all so they don't even need to try to determine the type. In Illinois it is illegal to buy or sell (but you can own it) ivory no matter the source. Got to protect those 10,000 year old Mammoth remains you know.

This is Mammoth Ivory

Thanks very much. I am considering mammoth to restock a Colt .38 Super, and this helps a great bit. Cheers

 

[boykinlp]

From time to time I'll see grips made from this material and it amazes me how reasonably
priced they seem to be for something that should be so rare.
The woolly mammoth went extinct 2,000 years before Christ!
For those that may know, why is this material not priced to the moon, if it
is indeed legit?

Ralph, what’re are you seeing the mammoth grips, and what do you consider reasonably priced?
Larry

 

[ralph7]

Ralph, what’re are you seeing the mammoth grips, and what do you consider reasonably priced?
Larry

Colt forum has these for $480.