Fossil info
Mammoth ivory grading prices care All videos or bulk mammoth
is a link to my videos March 2022 just added these videos to help
How to deal with left over scraps
How to deal with thin or cracked fossils
How to deal with major damage in fossils
Fossil blog page This is ongoing information of interest to fossil people. Added permanent info for those following the blog, links notices of sales, fossil news
I keep adding to - some ivory working knife scales work, ivory sheath making etc. Bulk mammoth is raw by the pound
GradingGrading can depend what you use this fossil material for. If you are a carver this top left picture is best, but it has no bark, the outer harder layer. If you are a knife maker you would prefer the middle picture - outer bark paid for by weight with the inside missing- rotted away.
|
ValueKnife maker may call this piece of outer bark perfect, but not a carver! Even more ideally a knife maker may covet the far right picture above, 'alligator pattern.,' already cut into a set! If you have the top dollars this can cost!
|
CostIf you are a knife maker this set already prepared could be perfect! But you may wish to buy the middle picture material and cut your own sets at half the cost. The far left picture is grade A for color, and in the $150 a pound range. Middle is grade C and as low as $60 a pound. Right alligator sets sell by the ounce at $20 an ounce. (about $400 a pound)
|
Your skill level
There is a huge price spread in grades! Decide what level you want to come in on. Right out of the mud still wet can be $40 a pound. You'd have to know how to dry it without it cracking, and understand covered in mud, what grade it is. In the above picture is great color but the growth layers are seriously delaminating. Be aware this is common and check it out or ask!
This grade cost less per pound. You can separate the layers so it looks like the next picture, or fill in the cracks with glue, blend colors, come out with a descent carve able product. Yulk! It's not natural? Welcome to reality. It's 40 to 60 thousand years old, a fossil. It's 90% going to need 'something.' If it's perfect natural expect 'the sky being the limit' for price. The top of this page left picture has had resin sucked in the cracks using a vacuum. Now stable. |
I can dry it and offer rough chunks that have been partly prepped, in other words, filled in major cracks, hardened some soft spots. Now the same $40 to $60-material is $100 to $150 a pound. It is now half the weight as wet, much garbage has been removed along with mud. There is some shop time of $60 an hour and materials cost and time invested in curing. You are not saving tons of money. Best savings this prep step. After I have cut and polished - made ready to use, easier on you but costs. However it can average 1 pound of rough material to end up with 2-3 ounces of finished scales. In the above picture is a nice even single layer of 'bark' the hard outer enamel. It can be even thickness and hard, usually between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick |
Blue! blue! and blue, everyone asks for blue! No wanna red. No wanna green! Left is dyed stabilized. Right is all natural. Blue represents less then 1% by weight of fossils I find. Natural blue is going to cost.
Stabilizing
Dying and stabilizing is not a cheap dunk in rit dye process. The resin is $100 a gallon. I need a vacuum pump, pressure container and compressor. The process can take days. Then I have to bake it, then sand it. Some percent does not take the dye. Some percent falls part in the heat. Skill is involved. Almost an art form. A good job can b e worth as much as natural, in the way a nicely stained polished piece of wood furniture can be worth more then natural. Stabilized treated turquoise is not labeled as such and ends up in galleries. There are times I just state 'blue' and do not specify natural or dyed. If that is a hug big deal to you, inquire before buying. Usually the price is an indicator.
Stabilizing
Dying and stabilizing is not a cheap dunk in rit dye process. The resin is $100 a gallon. I need a vacuum pump, pressure container and compressor. The process can take days. Then I have to bake it, then sand it. Some percent does not take the dye. Some percent falls part in the heat. Skill is involved. Almost an art form. A good job can b e worth as much as natural, in the way a nicely stained polished piece of wood furniture can be worth more then natural. Stabilized treated turquoise is not labeled as such and ends up in galleries. There are times I just state 'blue' and do not specify natural or dyed. If that is a hug big deal to you, inquire before buying. Usually the price is an indicator.
Tips on handling
Number one rule on all ivory is, never use a wet sander, as you might do with wood to keep dust down. Wet ivory tends to warp and crack. It is good not to get ivory to hot to touch while working it, that as well tends to warp and crack it. Beyond these two main rules, much of the rest is just practice! video
Ivory has grain and layers, growth rings like wood does. Be aware that ivory is stronger with the grain, then against it.
Newly found ivory needs aging by slow drying. I suggest a year, others feel even longer. Most reliable sellers will only sell you aged ivory, but it might be good to inquire how long it has been dried. It's possible to get fresh finds cheaper if you know how to age yourself. It's not hard, but knowing the critical steps by eye and heft becomes important.
Number one rule on all ivory is, never use a wet sander, as you might do with wood to keep dust down. Wet ivory tends to warp and crack. It is good not to get ivory to hot to touch while working it, that as well tends to warp and crack it. Beyond these two main rules, much of the rest is just practice! video
Ivory has grain and layers, growth rings like wood does. Be aware that ivory is stronger with the grain, then against it.
Newly found ivory needs aging by slow drying. I suggest a year, others feel even longer. Most reliable sellers will only sell you aged ivory, but it might be good to inquire how long it has been dried. It's possible to get fresh finds cheaper if you know how to age yourself. It's not hard, but knowing the critical steps by eye and heft becomes important.
Scrap ivory
Scraps usually means 'something I did not use and or cant sell well and tossed in the 'deal with later' box. This can be a bargain, perfect for your needs, but be aware! I am in hopes you find enough material in the batch to be happy. It is rare to be able to use every piece. But at 50 cents to $3 - $4 each if you can use even half the pieces it's a bargain over me taking pictures of each scrap. One grade I offer is the lighter colors, mostly for those who want to scrimshaw. The next grade is same quality only more colors for pendants and other art like knife guards pommels etc. Most scraps will be thin, or delaminated ivory 1/16th to 1/4 thick.Cubes, like dice are harder to come by. A high percent of the lowest grade will be long thin pieces. Trimmings from making knife scales. But also trimming from the ends of scales so 1x1x1/4 is most common. I'm not sure how involved I want to get offering a variety of shapes, colors, grades of scrap. Especially when I tend to toss it all into one box. I can take the time to grab 3 types, and figure that should work. Contact me if interested in other needs.
Scraps usually means 'something I did not use and or cant sell well and tossed in the 'deal with later' box. This can be a bargain, perfect for your needs, but be aware! I am in hopes you find enough material in the batch to be happy. It is rare to be able to use every piece. But at 50 cents to $3 - $4 each if you can use even half the pieces it's a bargain over me taking pictures of each scrap. One grade I offer is the lighter colors, mostly for those who want to scrimshaw. The next grade is same quality only more colors for pendants and other art like knife guards pommels etc. Most scraps will be thin, or delaminated ivory 1/16th to 1/4 thick.Cubes, like dice are harder to come by. A high percent of the lowest grade will be long thin pieces. Trimmings from making knife scales. But also trimming from the ends of scales so 1x1x1/4 is most common. I'm not sure how involved I want to get offering a variety of shapes, colors, grades of scrap. Especially when I tend to toss it all into one box. I can take the time to grab 3 types, and figure that should work. Contact me if interested in other needs.
Are fossils legal to have use sell? Permit?
My fossils are legal for me to sell here ion Alaska. The rest can get complicated, but not necessarily. Fish and Wildlife told me not to hand out legal advice, because I am not a lawyer. Bt in general 'fossils,' fall under mineral laws. Meaning a person need mineral rights to the land fossils come from, such as, a mine claim, Native land , older homesteads. The worse offense of concern is from a Federal park. I live a lifestyle where I am on the river and am known in all the interior Alaska Native villages, as well as knowing a lot of miners. I have permission to look on these lands, or buy from these people. Most states can receive fossils, however there have been some resent exceptions, like New York, California possibly because they consider fossils artifacts, or feel fossil mammoth encourages illegal elephant ivory trade. I do not ship ove3rseas due to the changing laws levels of permits and controversy over the ivory trade in general. There are often legal ways to ship overseas, I just prefer not to deal with that. I can provide documentation for the who are concerned, but a simple purchase receipt should be enough. Keep in mind, I go places where paper and pen is more rare than the fossils. Had a guy hold up a shipment of fossils for Nome, Had all the fossils I want, held up a month trying to locate an empty box and packing. Ended up packing in empty beer cans and pull tabs. No such thing as bubbler wrap. I used to ship my own goods in moss. It's another planet. Dealing with remote miners and Indians, it's an insult to ask for a receipt. I'm trying to be that middle man between the Savage and the Civilized. Disclaimer notice. Everything I sell is legal for me to sell in Alaska. Many items like fossil ivory, wood, artifacts, knives, have state restrictions. I can not know all the rules in all the places, situations I get asked to ship to, that constantly change. You are responsible for knowing your local laws. I do not ship anything at all out of the USA.
Where do these fossils come from?
I find most of my materials myself in the interior of Alaska along rivers that are cutting into the permafrost. I do no digging nor use any equipment. I pick up what is laying in the mud. Such areas are remote, as in 300 miles from civilization! I sometimes trade with remote miners and Indians. I have a Russian dealer friend I have worked with over 40 years who I trust and provides me with Siberian fossils in large wholesale amounts. I do not always find what sells, so trade full tusks for scrap bark for knife makers. I never know what I will find, so it might be bones from bison horse musk ox elk or a predator. I have had to learn what the boners are and find a market for 'odd stuff.' My favorite market is craft people, since I am an artist myself.