Ivory vs Bone ????

[Kevin]

I found this letter opener at the thrift store. It was $5. I know it isn’t plastic, but can’t figure out what it is.

It’s really smooth and not porous at all. Could it possibly be Ivory?

I know the trick of heating a metal pin and burning it, but I hate the idea of putting a mark on it. Would that leave any marks on Ivory or not?

Towards the rounded end you can see some splotching.

It definitely looks like a prison shank so I don’t think I’ll be taking it on an airplane with me

Here are some pictures.

Any ideas what it could be?

 

[nekvermont]

How do you know it's not plastic? My first thought was Bakelite but that's just a wild guess.

 

[Kevin]

I just read about how Ivory will fluoresce under a black light.

while it isn’t a bright white, it definitely glows under a black light.

I don’t think it’s plastic just because of the weight and feel.

 

[Kevin]

How do you know it's not plastic? My first thought was Bakelite but that's just a wild guess.

Bakelite is a good guess.

I will try a hot pin if I can find a paper clip.

 

[Mike J]

How do you know it's not plastic? My first thought was Bakelite but that's just a wild guess.

That was the first thing I thought of.

 

[Ride1949]

That looks more like a plastic leather creaser than a letter opener.

https://duckduckgo.com/y.js?ad_doma...B0C67C6B36F132EAF186AC72F6EDF&ID=DevEx,5073.1

 

[Kevin]

That was the first thing I thought of.

I just tried a hot pin. It didn’t melt like plastic would. I don’t know if Bakelite melts?

It did leave a very minute mark on the thin side of the round end.

 

[Kevin]

Y

Looks like this...
https://www.lineco.com/genuine-bone-folders.html

Yes, I think it’s one of these.

Thanks. It does look more like bone than plastic.

 

[nekvermont]

"Temu" sells them made from cow bone. But then again maybe someone made themself a fancy one out of Ivory.

 

[Kevin]

"Temu" sells them made from cow bone. But then again maybe someone made themself a fancy one out of Ivory.

I just didn’t realize you could polish bone that highly.

I was just hoping for a nice piece of Ivory.

A while back I found another piece that turned out to be White Jade.

It’s pretty interesting. Here, let me post a picture

 

[Kevin]

Carved white jade

 

[nekvermont]

How do you know it's white jade? Just Kidding.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I just tried a hot pin. It didn't melt like plastic would. I don't know if Bakelite melts?

It did leave a very minute mark on the thin side of the round end.

The smell is the key to the hot pin trick.
Did it smell like burning plastic or burning hair ?

 

[Chief 101]

I have one like that but it's not intended for opening envelopes although it could. Mine has yellowed and shows grain and I bought it about 1970...and it was sold as Elephant Ivory...

 

[harley08]

I'm thinking it is bone.
We used bone like that to fold letters by hand.

 

[Kevin]

How do you know it's white jade? Just Kidding.

That piece was also found at a thrift store. I had a geologist look at it.

I have some other pieces of carved green jade that besides the color, looks similar.

They are also from the thrift store. Amazing what you can find with a little patience.

 

[Iroc]

I work on leather and as others have said, it looks like a bone leather creaser, ivory has lines through it kind of like wood and so does imitation ivory made out of celluloid. The hot pin trick works good, if it was ivoroid imitation ivory, you can rub it on the back side of a piece of sand paper and it'll smell like camphor oil, it’s also very flammable.

 

[BearBiologist]

Ivory has a rather distinct structure. From CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species):

https://cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/resources/pub/E-Ivory-guide.pdf

 

[blume357]

Okay, I got to ask the question... isn't Ivory a bone... aren't antlers and tusk actually bone?

Also... why can't they in the add for it explain what a "bone folder" is actually used for?

 

[Achigan]

Okay, I got to ask the question... isn't Ivory a bone... aren't antlers and tusk actually bone?

Also... why can't they in the add for it explain what a "bone folder" is actually used for?

Nope. Antlers, finger/toe nails are fused hair, thus the smell test. Sheep, goat and buffalo horn the same.

 

[BearBiologist]

Nope. Antlers, finger/toe nails are fused hair, thus the smell test. Sheep, goat and buffalo horn the same.

Actually, antlers are bone. Horns have a bone core and a fused "hair" sheath.

 

[Iroc]

Okay, I got to ask the question... isn't Ivory a bone... aren't antlers and tusk actually bone?

Also... why can't they in the add for it explain what a "bone folder" is actually used for?

I don’t know know why the add didn’t explain what it’s used for but they probably didn’t know, a picture’s worth a thousand words so here’s a video on making a leather holster that’ll show you how it’s used. Fast forward to 23:38 that’s when he starts using it.

 

[The.Tumbleweed]

I just read about how Ivory will fluoresce under a black light.

while it isn't a bright white, it definitely glows under a black light.

I don't think it's plastic just because of the weight and feel.


View attachment 38067

Having a lot of blacklights, at different wavelengths, I will tell you plastic will also fluoresce.

 

[BearBiologist]

Ivory has a bone base but the outer coat is enamel. Ivory can come from elephants, elk, boar/wart hog, & walrus. I forgot hippos and maybe a couple more (muntjac?)

Just so nobody argues (a favorite past time here):

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/elk-...to-extract-them-and-why-you-should-keep-them/