Emerged during the 18th century...
Scrimshaw as we know it today,  evolved from whaling during the golden age of the 18th century and is generally acknowledged as the only original American artform.

When whalers hunted for the Sperm whale for oil,  they also found value in the abundance of ivory teeth that remained.  Equipped with idle time on board ship,  a jack knife,  sharpened nail or canvas needle they scratched a design on the polished surface of the whales' ivory teeth.  Rubbing their design with lamp black,  squid ink (sepia) or India ink,  they then wiped the excess ink clean.  Only the scratchings retained the ink creating great contrast against the white polished ivory and a new artform emerged.

To no ones surprise,  the most common design included ships,  whaling scenes and the girl at home. 

18th Century Trading... Alaska and the Eskimos
When the American whaling fleet entered the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska in the late 1800's,  the whalers traded their whale ivory with the Eskimos walrus ivory.  Many a sailor came home with ivory walrus tusks and carvings. 

For centuries,  the Eskimos had etched (scrimshawed) decorative designs on their ivory and bone implements.  Mostly geometric patterns but also animals,  hunting records and memorable exploits portrayed in primitive stick figure or pictograph style.  With the arrival of the American whalers,  the Eskimos began to scrimshaw in a more realistic style and they continue their ancient art tradition in this style to this day.

Ancient ivory...
Also from Alaska comes the ancient ivory from the long extinct woolly mammoth and mastadon.  At least 12,000 years old,  this ivory is imbued with rich brown tones but occasionally,  a blue or green color appears due to the absorption of minerals by the ivory over the centuries of burial.  This kind of ivory is referred to as fossilized,  but it is actually in the early stages of mineralization. 

Ancient walrus ivory also aquires these colors as it has lain buried and  preserved in the frozen tundra soil for centuries.  It is often found in the form of Eskimos' tools such as ax heads,  mauls,  sled runners and fishing net weights.

And today...
From these crude beginnings,   scrimshaw methods have become varied,  ranging from traditional to ultra modern and evolved into a finer artform.

Today,  colored inks are used on man-made materials,  the etchings scratched by electric tools and magnifiers used to produce photographic quality work. 

And even though scrimshaw can be patterned on a computer in mass quantities,  the traditional scrimshaw on ivory is unique as any other artform.  Expressed on a rare and inherently beautiful "canvas"  that is itself appreciating in value!

• Protect scrimshaw from excess wear -  it's relatively delicate.
• Remove ivory jewelry before bathing.
• Live in Iow humidity, arid climates?
  Keep carvings and scrimshaw collectors' pieces in a display case in a small glass of water.  lvory will dry out and become dull looking.
• Protect your ivory from high heat.
• Don't keep ivory over an operating fireplace. 
• Hot and dry,  lengthy exposure to intense sunlight may fade scrimshaw's delicate color.  
• Avoid repeated contact with your skin oils.  Ivory will acquire a patina faster.
• An occasional wipe with a mineral oil moistened cloth wiII add luster.

• If you carry a scrimshawed item like a folding knife,  carry it in a pouch or sheath instead of your pocket.

Common sense care of your fine ivory art investments will allow them to become even more beautiful with age as they grow into family heirlooms.
        

• Piano Key-  keys from old pianos and organs that have been cut and reshaped.
• Fossil Walrus-  300-3000 year old walrus teeth that have washed up on the beaches of Alaska.
• Cue Ball-  pieces cut and shaped from old pool cue balls.
• Estate-  ivory documented from the 1970's and still legal to buy,  sell and trade within the continental United States.

• Ivory Elk- the "whistle teeth" from a bull elk.
• Black Bear-  Tricia works on the long root of the tooth.