Anyone ever cut ivory?

[Bob Parker]

Thinking about buying some pre ban elephant ivory for use as inlay or even to make an escutcheon. Anyone have any experience or tips at cutting this? Thanks!

[Angus Hines]

Cuts great with a laser but smells like hair burning.

As for cutting other ways the only tips I can offer is a very fine tooth blade and remember it has a grain very similar to fingernails.

[David DeCristoforo]

Ivory is best cut with a jeweler's saw ("Neander" style)

[John Bush]

Knew a gentleman that had legal access to walrus tusk and he used a small band saw with a fine blade to cut it into disks then polish with fine files, sandpaper, then polishing compound and a buffing wheel. It developed a very nice surface that he carved scrimshaw on. I'm not absolutely certain but I think the properties of ivory and walrus tusk are quite similar.

[Frank Drew]

I used some old piano key ivory to make inlays and escutcheons. It's very brittle and prone to breaking; even using a fine saw it helps to spot glue the ivory to a thin piece of wood as a backer.

I also cut some escutcheons out of regular steer bone, which is similar enough in appearance to pass.

[Maurice Ungaro]

If you cut it, make sure you wear a mask. That fine dust is nasty, just like deer antlers.

[Bob Parker]

Hey Frank would you happen to have a picture of the escutcheon you made? and did you use a band saw to cut it out? thanks

[Frank Drew]

Bob,

No pictures, unfortunately, but I had a couple of simple patterns, an ellipse and an elongated diamond; I made aluminum flashing material templates in a few different sizes. For cutting, I used a coping saw with a v-board (birdsmouth board). I also like boxwood for this purpose, and it's fairly easy to find locally.

It's not like I was making keyhole escutcheons all the time, however.

[Shiraz Balolia]

Thinking about buying some pre ban elephant ivory for use as inlay or even to make an escutcheon. Anyone have any experience or tips at cutting this? Thanks!


Hi Bob,

I have a lot of experience working with ivory. It is a very easy material to cut and is dense just like a very hard wood. It is brittle, but you do not need special tools to work it. Bandsawing is the best way and then sand finishing. You can use coarse teeth on a bandsaw, but it will leave coarse marks that will require more work to finish and sand off.

A medium tooth blade would work just fine. I do not change my blades on the bandsaw when I am resawing or cutting ivory. Here's the kicker. You must not let the ivory get hot or even warm to the touch. If you do, you will pay for it months later because it will crack at a future date. Here's a link to an inlay I had done using ivory:

http://www.grizzly.com/sbguitar/sbguitar.aspx?serial=005&photo=3

[Bob Parker]

Thanks for the replies! I still feel a little morbid using ivory though..