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Fossilized Tusk


Carver

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I recently purchased a box of miscellaneous knife making supplies at an estate sale. When I first saw this object, I thought I had bought an ugly piece of wood, but when I picked it up, I realized it was something else due to the weight. It looks like a small tusk, but I’m a newbie and have no real clue as to what this is. I’m confident this forum is the place to find the answer. Thanks!

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I’m a little perplexed, but it is not an elephantoid tusk (no Shreiger   Schreger lines, pretty sure I just spelled that wrong), and looks like it is made of keratin like some sort of horn. I would expect horn to be hollow like in a bull. Maybe a marine mammal bone, as they often have unporous insides to help maintain neutral bouyancy. Wait for others opinions though.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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I'm thinking fossil walrus tusk.

Many times I've wondered how much there is to know.  
led zeppelin

 

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I propose that you grip a nail with pliers and heat it to red hot, then apply it to this object.
If it is not mineralized (ie: more recent origins), it will smell of burned hair (keratin).

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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34 minutes ago, mikeymig said:

I'm thinking fossil walrus tusk.

And yes, that is my thinking too (except for the 'fossil' part).

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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I used a wood burning pen and applied it to 3 different surfaces. No smell of burning hair, although it did emit a faint odor which I can’t describe.  The heat barely left a mark and as you can see from the photos, the tip of the pen was red hot. Hope this helps.

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5ab04129738b4_IdentificationGuideforIvoryandIvorySubstitutes_1.thumb.jpg.35f9ae7e91e694f315506df0711e2b98.jpg5ab0411feb942_IdentificationGuideforIvoryandIvorySubstitutes_2.thumb.jpg.8fd62809c2a0f407faf40253966baa48.jpg

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

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The burn marks are far more than what would have happened were the material mineralized.
It may be old, but the scorching (along with the flakey 'bark') says non-fossil to me.

It makes sense that modern ivory would be much more useful in handling a blade than fossil ivory (which would be too brittle to work with).

 

Be aware that Walrus is a CITES Appendix lll species, and possession of its ivory is heavily regulated. Keep your records to establish provenence, and contact the estate to see whether they can add any more information to it.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Thank you, Auspex and the other members who responded to my post. So, it appears that I have a piece of modern walrus ivory and not a fossil at all. I’ll attempt to contact family members of the estate in the hopes that someone can provide a bit more provenance. I image it was purchased quite a while back - there is an old piece of tape with a price of $46 attached to the tusk. Thanks again, this is a great forum!

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The texture is wrong for walrus tusk but it looks very similar to walrus baculum. Walrus baculums are frequently sold to tourists.

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I sawed a piece off of one end and it's definitely some type of bone. Very porous and when I made the cut, it smelled exactly like bone I've cut in the past. Now I just have to discover what type of bone. Thanks again!

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I think the case for Walrus baculum is building; the 'rind' and the trabecular structure are consistent with Al Dente's example.
We can rule out whale rib by comparison to one I have:

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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@Al Dente has it - it's an oosik (walrus baculum). The ends were sawn off, but you can make out a little ring-shaped raised ridge of bone at the thick end, which is sort of a telltale sign.

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Unfortunately, that's the exact spot that I chose to make my saw cut. But is this the type of ridge you're referring to?

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