Yay or nay on these ivories?

I don't think I would sand them. Could end up having to take a fair amount of material off, may have to replace the hardware, and possibly make the cracks worse. So, if you don't like them as is, I would pass on them.

Sorry, I'm no help on the value.

I thought you could no longer sell or buy ivory in any fashion without proof that it was imported before a certain date or some such.

P.S. whoever did that scrimshaw work should be ashamed of ruining a good set of ivory grips. Yeesh.

If the price is right, sanding is possible but judge that carefully. Remember they had to shape the stocks originally. Do note first how they fit your gun; don't sand down where they touch metal if possible (unless they need fitting) but only where needed and tapering or fading away towards it.

Ivory is very hard, so the scrimshaw is usually very shallow (and yours certainly looks that way. It shouldn't take too much off to remove it, but it will be a tedious process. If you have not done serious hardwood work before, I'd not start with ivory. Ask friends or even see if there's a local artsy woodworker or shop who might be willing to tackle it. (I have not done ivory work, this is all just conventional wisdom from woodworking forums I have read over time, re-checked today).

Ivory is easy to overheat, and when overheated gets pretty ruined. Go slow. Maybe even avoiding use of power tools (belt sanders etc) at all, though that will take a long time. For this I'd start at like 120 grit, once the marks are removed then you step down in bits to 600 to remove the sanding marks; don't load, use new paper, consider wet sanding with regular washes, etc.

To get shiny, then it's time to polish! Which is a whole other thing I usually avoid, but you will presumably want to tackle also. In other words: doable, but lots of work, likely materials to acquire.


DO make sure you are legal. As long as transferring within a state, and a gunstock (small enough total mass) you are probably good but esp without paperwork to prove imported long enough ago, easy to get fouled up. Any proof will do, such as if the manufacturer went out of business entirely before the cutoff dates, etc. Look it up so you know the rules though.

Pass.

I’d pass on those.

Without knowing where the OP is, we cannot comment on legality. If he is outside the U.S.A. who knows the laws? I don’t. I don’t see Schafer lines in the cross section so they might not even be elephant. But that may be the angle of the image.

If they fit, and the price is right, I would consider them.

Kevin

Hard pass.

Ivory grows like a tree with layers, it’s hard to tell exactly from the pictures but those certainly could be bone.

The scrimshaw just looks…how can I put this politely? It looks tacky, but I wouldn’t sand those down. I would pass.

The photos do show Schreger angles or lines which is crosshatch pattern when looking at the ends of an ivory object, which confirms that it is genuine.

You can fill the cracks to stabilize them with super glue using acetone on a q-tip to remove excess, then light sanding. Many ivory collectors use baby/mineral oil to keep moisture in the ivory. They also use open containers of water-soaked cotton balls to ensure that dry ivory takes in moisture from the air; something you would not do with a firearm.

To remove old scrimshaw, you should probably start with a 1000 grit sandpaper or finer first, more coarse paper can make deep scratches. If the old scrimshaw is deep, you will have to use coarser paper, but start high first. You can get 1000 to 3000 grit sandpaper from most auto stores. You can also purchase a set of polishing pads that increase from 1000 to 12,000 grit. Before sanding, set up some-type of mechanism to hold the piece firmly. Placing pressure on it while sanding could crack it. Note that to remove the scrimshaw is going to take many hours by hand.

Check with any knife collectors you know for advice, or even, pay for the work. Many vintage knives have ivory handles that collectors have had to perform restoration work on. Finally, as previously noted, there are stringent federal laws on the sale and possession of ivory, make sure you are in compliance.

Properly obtaining ivory grips is very difficult in today’s legal environment. So the long hours of restoration may be worth it.

As much as I like the look of ivory I would give these grips a hard pass as well.

Between the legal hassles and the condition I'll add my vote to the Pass column.

U-G-L-Y. Enough said.

On the right gun those could be interesting. The artwork isn’t great but it’s not the worst I have seen either. On a shooter grade gun with character those grips might look better as a part of the total package. “Distressed” guns showing wear are interesting, and that’s where I see a home for these. Further distressed to minimize the scrimshaw but certainly don’t try to make them look new.

All of that ONLY if there is a solid legal leg to stand on for owning them.

Gee hard bunch. What’s wrong with a Rocky/Stolone left eye and nose, and a glass right eye on a Native American face?

Definitely the real thing and the age cracks are normal. I'd buy them in a heartbeat if the price was right and the fit was decent. I would also sand the "scrimshaw" off of them. It's not very deep and it won't take much to take it off. I would just be very careful not to take off any where the ivory meets steel, unless necessary for proper fit. When you're done, treat them with a coat of mineral oil, they probably need it.

If they're in a local shop and not specifically banned by state law (CA, NY, etc.), there are no legalities to worry about.

No thanks.

Who would have thunk it?
Grips with Prison Tats!

If they are cheap and legal, I'd get them just because they are Ivory.
Maybe try erasing the "art work" later.

Ivory is obscenely expensive. Les told me that the set on my avatar were around $800 as an option. And that was ten years ago. Mine are starting to yellow, slightly, which doesn't show in the pic. I keep the gun in my safe, away from the light. The gun came with a certification letter stating that the ivory was imported into this country before a certain date, making it "old" ( and legal ) ivory.

I like the look of ivory but not the price. Some of the man made ivory looks excellent though.

Good heavens, if you don' like the carvings, just DON'T buy them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let someone who appreciates these grips buy them. I don't like these grips, but there's a 100% chance somebody else would.
Don't get in the way of this AND don't throw-away your hard-earned dollars.

Oh by the by, ivory inevitably goes a yellowish color.
.

nay

I can see why whoever bought the gun, didn't want the grips.