Miles of Alaska Nenana raw materials defined.  The why it works how it is used and taken care of material
How what and why
Miles of Alaska
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Walrus ivory is the tusk of the walrus and is hard solid - much like a tooth but really more like bone in hardness and workability. If you worked with bone, Ivory will be similar- same tools used. Walrus ivory is distinguished from other ivories mostly by it's tapioca pattern about a third of the way in from the surface. No other ivory has this except whale - but whale has a smaller center and is more mottled and not as consistent a pattern. Walrus ivory is traditionally used for scrimshaw- jewelry and knife handle material. A note to knife makers- it is very hard to get a set of scales from walrus ivory 'because'. That tapioca inner patter means you have to take one cut from one side and the other cut on the other side and there will be a big chunk lost on the middle and it takes a huge diameter tusk to deal with the curve-trying to get a flat side. It is possible but hardly anyone wants to mess with it because of the wasted ivory. If you find a set you will pay dearly. Usually knife makers will take a smaller tusk and use the perfect diameter shape for a hidden tang blade. This material would be ok for guards and spacer and pommels. White ivory has more then one definition. The legal definition is anything newer then 1972 when the ban on white fresh walrus ivory went into effect. The ban went into effect as the international cites treaty to help protect a species that could become endangered if the harvest of ivory increased. No one wants walrus to be endangered or wasted (tusks taken no meat used).  I'm not a lawyer and we pay big $ to lawyers to tell us what we can do and not do. Interpretations of laws are vague.  In general the spirit of the law is to ensure no walrus got killed just for the tusk. In some instances no questions are asked in other instances paperwork is asked for and in other instances it can be confiscated and the burden of proof is on you. 90% of the time it's not an issue especially once ivory becomes an art piece. If your scared and worried just avoid it. Fossil ivory is not an issue because the animal died a long time ago. Other laws can come into place however. it is not polite to take Eskimo artifacts from archeological sites for example and fossils sometimes get interpreted as artifacts and taking them from the ground is similar to grave robbing. It depends on who you talk,  to but in general not a problem, but don't get smug about that. Walrus ivory take a nice shine. It takes about a thousand years for the first serious color to creep into the surface. Color all the way through is usually many thousand years old. Walrus ivory is worth more then mammoth ivory as it is more rare and easier to work- more stable, takes less skill. The maim thing to know about ivory in terms to to watch to for when working is never get it wet! Do not use a wet saw. Live with the dust! Mineral oil helps it stay happy. Critical times are drastic climate hunmidy changes--like if you order it through the  mail and you live in a different enviroment then Alaska -- if you do not want to take chances-- put it in a plaitc big with a littel oil and put it in the regirgeraltor- freezer or a cool dark place for a week and let the ivory slowly adjust to it's new home. Take it out of the frig and put it in a cool dakr place and slowoly intorduce it to room temperature and light. I usually store it on a shelp in my shop out fo the way in a cool place near the floor and do not mess with it till  I need it. If you need to use it as soon as it arrives-- make the project and put the project in a cool place. Ivory can warp shrink expand -- and in this way it is not the most exiting material to use in the world. It's real value is in the fact it is exotic and pretty. It is not tough and it is not functional. Hunters- outdoor people might not be happy with it.It is for collectors. As jewelry it is more forgiving as it is smaller and if it warps or expands no one will notice and there are no rivits will pop. As with any material using it is an art form. Neither I nor anyone else can tell you all you need to know in a page. That is why people who know how to work it get paid a lot for the finished product. It can take 5 years of working it to say you understand ivory. If you want to play with it and learn- please do not order the best. Ask me for some scraps (I cant give it away but it is much cheaper then the big good stuff) and play with it to get the feel for it if at all possible.
In Alaska mammoths lived 10,000 to 45,000 years ago and in general were simply big harry elephants. The mastodon is similar but smaller, tusks are smaller in diameter and have more of an 's' curve. supposedly the hash mark pattern is different (slightly) from elephant or mammoth. It is possible to tell all ivories apart but it has to do with a 10 degree angle difference in the hash pattern that most of us wouldn't recognize. The bark of the tusk is most sought after as a craft item. the bark is an outer harder layer much like the enamel on our teeth. It holds together better and takes a higher polish and has more of the colors sought after. The inner tusk is  sold as scrap or to carvers sometimes but in general has much less value. When buying it make sure you knew if it is bark or inner ivory. Most who have knowledge do not need to be told and can tell by looking  but if you do not know the material you could get took. Mammoth ivory takes more skill to use then walrus but cost a little less. Being much older it can have 'fossil problems' as any fossilized material. There can be uneven fossilization and so hard mixed with softer spots. #1 grade will be consistent but other grades are such grades because of the soft spots. In some ways mammoth ivory is not forgiving and you need to let it be what it wants to be and it is not  always possible to force it to do what you want. For example that blue color you want may disappear under another layer. If you want that color you have to follow it and that can alter the design of what you are making. The knife scales for example might be thicker or thinner then you first planned. refit everything else to match it. Ivory is rarely grabd up randomly and put on a knife. A good knife maker will think and even build the knife aroudn the iovry or for sure study his material and see what ivory he has that will enhance his knife. That is one reason the material  is worth so much when you are successful! If you treat it like a hunk of wood you will be unhappy. Mammoth ivory often has weak spots cracks pits. This is common and expected. It's 40,000 years old! How could it possibly not have wrinkles! It gives the finished piece character. If you arf not into character and want perfection it might not be a good material to work with for you. It is possible to stabilize fill cracks and 'restore' mammoth ivory and other fossils. In fact this is normal. Well--it is true sometimes you can buy precut and formed mammoth ivory and someone did allthe grunt work and it arrives perfect with no flaws and you paid dear for it.... but believe me- someone along the line messed with it and prayed to the mammoth spirits (so to speak-- as in "please Lord do not let this go tits up on me")  I am especially partial to mammoth ivory as I find a lot of it myself and understand it better then most as a result. When found it is 'wet' and needs special care before it can be used for anything or displayed. If looking at a full tusk be sure to inquire how long it has been out of the ground. Do not buy tusks fresh out of the gourd unless you know how to take care of it or it will for sure fall apart. Like walrus ivory never get it wet and never store it in the sun or a hot place and mineral oil helps it. But keep the oil to a minimum as it darkens the color and makes it harder on your cutting tools as the oily dust plugs up sanding equipment more. Seriously oiled ivory has less value when selling it. Knowing how much and when is part of an acquired skill. The color layers in fossil ivory determine much of it's value. Blue is most sought after. I paste here what I wrote to one customer about ivory---  Mammoth ivory can be a tricky material. Colors can be in thin layers or wander from one layer to another and it may or may not conform to the flat surface you want on a knife. It is possible to accidentally sand through the color layer and it is simply ‘gone’ Or the color layer is not where you want it! The good news is it is common to find a plain looking piece of raw ivory and sand down and suddenly come across brilliant blue! No one knew it was there and you luck out. Much like buying rough opal Usually however a good ivory worker can look at it and determine the likelihood of good color—by looking at the edge or knowing where it came from . The blue comes from –in my area blue clay it sets in and some chemical reaction between this clay and phosphorous in the ivory (so I’m told) .
Some whales have teeth but some have 'baleen' instead. This replaces teeth and is a strainer to filter out crill in the water they eat. The baleen can be 8-10 feet long and fold up in the mouth but when the mouth opens this baleen drops down andhas hairs along the edge. It is hard to imagine unless you have seen a picture of a whale. Anyhow the 'Right' whale in Alaska has the baleen and this material is used in art in various ways. Traditionally it was used as corsette stays, and scrimshaw as a wall hanging with a scene on it. Baleen falls under whale material protected under international laws. 
        Laws---As with walrus ivory mentioned above-- interpretation of the laws is vague and varies. The general intent is to ensure whales are not killed off trying to satisfy a  market. Baleen is not highly in demand for now and probably no one is killing whales to get baleen- usually  it is a by product of lawful Eskimo whale hunting for subsistence food. Few people are against this so no problem--usually. Sometimes it becomes an international issue if you cross a border. After 9/11 the attitude seems to have changed . I am unsure why.  Laws are tighter m ore enforced and come with higher penalties for being mistaken. I'm turning more to fossils and rocks myself.            Baleen handles much like horn and is a highly compact fibrous structure as horn is. If you start pulling on the hairs baleen comes unraveled or fibers come loose. But it has a 'grain' and the surface is not fibrous but the edge is. But if careful,  even the edge can be polished and you see fine layers on it and different color changes and this distinguishes it from other materials. It appears to be slightly waxy and  as a hoof or claw might be or your finger nail. It is very durable in some ways but is not 'hard' so can scratch but is about like plastic in terms of polish feel hardness. It is much like that micarta spacer material knife makers know so it can be used as knife spacers as something unique and not seriously expensive. Price In general it sells by the linier foot at $20 or so a foot or I think I'll charge $4 for a 2x2 inch piece. (whre legal--whick is--no place --well within Alaska maybe. It makes nice pendants (being light and strong ) is ok with water and temperature and  does not expand or warp. It is not brittle and would aborb shock and expansion on wood ivory in a knife handle.
Moose bone especially leg bone is a nice bone to use for knife handles or carvings. It is thick and study coming from a wild animal and is a nice alternative to beef or more spend giraffe now in vogue. The smaller moose have a bone that can be used for hidden tang as is. The larger moose have quarter inch thick to half inch thick bones that can be slabbed and used for many things. It handles like most any bone and can be carved sliced diced and used with hand or simple power tools. In general it comes off my dinner. I and those in my community eat wild game and moose is the main staple for us. Normally bones are our garbage and go in the dump or to dogs. I'm trying to put such bones to use. The legal aspect? I'd call it a grey area. Technically the law says no part of a game animal can be bought and sold. That includes moose antler. Even though antler is naturally shed the court--Fish and Game would say 'prove it!'. A natural shed eagle feather picked up is worth 20 years in prison. Moose bone? There is no big demand. No one is killing moose to sell bones. If I was making big dollars and going commercial probably there  would be a precedence set. But some guy selling bones from his garbage pile is not going to be a big issue. If it worries you a great deal don't get it. My community is somewhat out of mainstream and out of the loop and most villagers think it is the funniest thing they ever heard-- selling bones. It's the equivalent of selling rocks or trees or the city dweller getting $10 for a empty soda can. Many cannot comprehend a world where no one ever saw a moose, or  ate moose meat,  or tossed moose bones to the dog. Such a life would be very sad, and they don't want to talk about it. Many have seen more moose in their life then humans.. This is the world-- the situation moose  leg bones come from. And the first question asked about a knife for sale is "Will it skin out a moose?" and if not why woud anyone want it? Bone is probobly the best all around toughest material a knife maker can use that is natural except maybe some kinds of horns. It is strong it can get wet it just 'hold up' when you want a knife for the working man. Others use it to scrimshaw on - or inlay work or anyplace you need bone.
Basically there is no established market no traditional use and is is so far ot in left field no one sells it. But my basic concept is "the animal died- why not use all it's parts?" Trapper get wolves and sell the fur and toss out  the carcass The legal aspect is--if you can trap it kill it sell the fur you can sell the rest too. . Why would one part be for sale and not another part? Th e animal died-why waste it? Laws are state regualted and a few states do not  allow wolf sales i trhink Florida unsure of any others. And maybe restriction overseas- unsure. ( a PS in 06. Wolves and lynx now a cities animal menaing endangered menaing many more restricitons concerning the sale of them - it effectgs overseas sales the most and requires so manyh levels of permtts now it is pretty much not realistic to sell overseas.) You have to know pretty much if you can have it or not and take responsibility for that I send it from a place where  it is legal that is all I really know for  sure. (AN update on this-- it apears it is my responsibility as seller to know the laws in all the sates and it is me who gets fined or goes to jail if a mistake is made, not the buyer) Alaska timber wolves are very large- to 200 pounds. The leg bones can be large enough for hidden tang knives. Slighlly  thin  walled in my opinion b ut is filled with epoxy when tang is set in. Smaller bones especially the foot boners I make into beads. tehy are naturlally hollow and are a nice touch to a claw or tooth necklace for that authentic wolf energy and something different and natural. Not much else to know or say about it. No on else makes a point of offering them for sale but me that I know of. In all honeslty I dont sell them to make money, I sell them to honor the dead wolf.
I have another page that has legal stuff on bear parts and advice and how to take care of stuff and how to spot fake stuff and related topics of interest
More will be added later- this is a new page based on all the inquires I get.
Drilling holes in materials
I get a lot of questions involving how to turn a simple raw material into a necklace by drilling a hole in it. I thought it was simple enough as I have been doing it all my life. But there are in fact ways to royally mess up the material. Teeth for example.  It is necessary to understand the dynamics of a tooth. It has a outer hard enamel aninner softer part and a center hollow where the nerve was or still is depending on how fresh the tooth is. If you have a fresh tooth with a wet nerve in it then it is not advisable to drill a hole to that center and then expose to heat as the fast drying will most likely cause the tooth to break. It is better to cut the top off - pull the nerve out with a toothpick etc fill that space with super glue oil the tooth put in a zip bag and set aside in a cool place a few days and slowly expose it to air and warmth before  trying a hole. But drilling a hole in a tooth I think is not a good way to make a necklace. The enamel of a tooth is brittle when dead. It is often under internal stress and drilling hole can relive that stress and cause it to crack. Only 'maybe' but why take a chance? Teeth are better capped and the value is greater. Claws can be easier to drill but you need to know there are 2 parts to a claw. Teh hull is the outer part you see that has color and it's composition is much like our fingernail. There is an inner bone the hull is around. On a live animal there is sinew and blood between the hull and the bone. If the foot was boiled to get the claw off the foot sometimes the sinew and blood is cooked away - or this can rot away or be eaten away by bugs. Any of these events can cause the bone and the hull to want to separate. If the inner bone is loose and you try to drill and get though the hull the drill bit can jump hitting the loose bone and do all sorts of things you do not  want done. So pay attention. It is also best to drill so as to drill through the hull and the bone so in the future the hull will not fall off--like do not drill from the top into the bone and not check to see if the hull is intact. It may need to be glued. Also the hull is gown in layers and can chip much like your fingernail. If the drill bit is dull or not centered or tweaked while drilling the hull can chip - delaminate and have rough edged holes or worse. Some animals like lynx have hulls that grow and shed outer layers as a snake sheds it's skin. It is possible to start to drill and have this loose outer layer fall off and you have a smaller claw now. Just be aware this is possible and check and fix with super glue before  drilling such a claw. Other then teeth and claws most animal materials can be drilled with regular wood drill bits normal steel bits and can  be done by hand if you do not have power. Stones are harder to drill and need diamond bits usually and water drip so the diamond does not burn off the steel. It is not 'hard' once you know how but it is possible to ruin a nice stone. I just do not have the time to give personal instructions for free, as much as I'd like to. I often spend 10 hours a day on the Internet answering emails and then I go to the shop to work as well as take care of other things in my life, my time is maxed out. If you do not feel comfortable about it have me drill the hole or someone else who knows for sure how. Sometimes you can do things yourself and save money and have a project you did and other times you can loose money and be sorry you didn't have someone do it, and only you can decide that.

Non animal material

Rocks
Non animal materials require less care in general  then the animal  products. There are a few 'however's added. Slicing rock yourself  can be tricky. Mostly as with anything , practice counts for a lot. The 2 biggest issues are stress within the material and heat build up. Some stones have internal cracks and weak spots. It is possible to use superglue or something similar and seal the rock before slicing. Some professionals put the rock in a vacuum with the resin or glue to suck it in to the core. This is done with turquoise for example, and a dye is often added along with a stabilizer. Untreated turquoise when exposed to strong light tends to go from blue to green over time. With green being a less desired color - the stabilizer ensures it remains sky blue! Other stones  are fibrous and do not like to be sliced.  Stones in the feldspar family for example. Getting a basic book helps. There are fewer books on dealing in the animal parts to I covered that more and also because I understand animal items better and am more new in the rock business! When slicing rock it is best to keep it wet or oiled to stop heat build up and to save the saw blade. In most cases one needs diamond blades to cut and work rock. There  are a few things the books may not tell you. If you do a minimal amount foi rock work and the work is smaller pieces for art - well I got away with doing it all with my fordom or dremil tool. There are enough choices in small bits to get away with it. There is a 2 inch diamond cutter that handled a lot. I was able to get away with a 2 inch rubber mandrel with sticky sandpaper of 'corundum' and used 40 grit a lot. This wears out fast but cuts most stones . You can get diamond dusk or paste to use in cloth or leather wheels to do the final polish. This works ok for ring cabs and small pendants, sliced from material up to the size of a golf ball. Eventually you'll want the more serious equipment designed for the purpose. Tumblers for rocks work nice as well. It is more tricky then I expected. Picking the right grits and times for cycles is not easy if you use a variety of rocks the hardness and way rocks are built effects how they come out.
Opal is one of my favorite stones. I sigh and pause before speaking. Working opal is a relationship between you and the stone. Opal has to like you. Opal is silate with water trapped in it microscopically. This is what gives it color. Knowing this helps work it. Opal does not  like heat. Colors are in thin layers. Those are the two most important things to know I think. Work it slow use water. Watch carefully for what is going on with the colors so they do not disappear. It is to me one of the most rewarding stones when handled right. I myself prefer the lower grade opal with lots of 'matrix'. Matrix is the background rock. Matrix can help hold the opal together and lets the project be stronger and more forgiving.
More to be added as I get to it like amber working email me. If I have time I can  help you out but if I am busy such is life.

Miles Martin
Miles of Alaska
Box 363
Nenana Alaska
99760
1 907 832 5442
miles@milesofalaska.net