Dovo with MAMMOTH Tusk Scales??

Chris Richards · Post by **Chris Richards** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:20 pm

Surfing for a straight on ebay today and came across this.

This can't be real, could it? That's seems pretty darned unlikely that somebody can do this. Am I allowed to post an ebay link showing it? (If not mods feel free to remove.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dovo-Straight-Razor ... dZViewItem

Wouldn't you guess this would somehow be illegal? Comes with a "certificate" showing it's authentic.

Forgive me if that's a newbie question, I just thought it was amazing. I mean, I would feel a little bad about ivory, but mammoth? Wow.

Eastree · Post by **Eastree** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:51 pm

It is quite possible to find authentic mammoth tusk ivory out there. And from what I've seen glancing around, the price listed is about spot on.

Chris Richards · Post by **Chris Richards** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:08 pm

Simply amazing to me.

Live and learn I guess.

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:05 pm

Wow. That is awsome. Can you imagine holding something in your hands (daily) that is 40,000 years old?

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:09 pm

Since mammoths are (obviously) already long dead, and we dig them up rather than shoot them, there's no prohibition against using their tusks for ivory.

Chris Richards · Post by **Chris Richards** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:37 pm

Obviously, but it just seems bizzare. Like having a Mach III handle made out of a Tyrannosarus femur.

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:58 pm

drumana wrote:Wow. That is awsome. Can you imagine holding something in your hands (daily) that is 40,000 years old?

Go outside and find yourself a pet rock, it is even older.

Scrapyard Ape · Post by **Scrapyard Ape** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:03 pm

Things like this just perplex me. Why would anyone want mammoth ivory scales other than for the snob factor?

mparker762 · Post by **mparker762** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:14 pm

They're still being made. Classic has them in stock - http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/i ... 669860.htm.

Livi and Williams make them too. I haven't seen any TI's with them, but they've probably done them too in the past. Ivory has a long tradition as a scale material on the very best razors. It's extremely attractive - if you've never seen genuine Ivory you have no idea how nice it really looks, and it gets nicer as it ages.

Mammoth tusk is used because it's the closest we can get to elephant ivory, and it's pretty readily available - there are a bunch of those things in Siberia. And the crust of the tusk can be particularly interesting - check out this Livi: http://straightrazordesigns.com/index.p ... &Itemid=28

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:47 pm

Greg, "Snob factor"? No, no....we must look at it as, "connoisseurship" or "appreciation of old fashioned craftsmanship", or " a taste for the rare and unusual".....but no "snobs"...no...bad form. But seriously, no one 'needs' more then a moderate sized Vulfix Super brush either, and yet, many of us spend much more. This whole traditional wetshaving trip going on here is plainly more then just pure practicality.
Regards,
Gordon

kaptain_zero · Post by **kaptain_zero** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:37 pm

If Mamoth tusk is a bit too much, perhaps Oosik from a walrus would be preferable?

If you aren't familiar with Oosik, I'd suggest you look it up at Wikipedia.org rather than my typing those words here...

Billy of Billys Blades made a few of those come to think of it....

Regards

Christian

Scrapyard Ape · Post by **Scrapyard Ape** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:15 pm

bernards66 wrote:Greg, "Snob factor"? No, no....we must look at it as, "connoisseurship" or "appreciation of old fashioned craftsmanship", or " a taste for the rare and unusual".....but no "snobs"...no...bad form.

I'll buy the "taste for the rare and unusual" reasoning... that is what collecting is all about. But "connoisseurship"? No way. That word is used too much as window dressing for snobbery.(no... I'm not accusing anyone here of that, so don't everyone go getting their shorts in a knot)

As far as "appreciation of old fashioned craftsmanship" goes... When I see some mammoth ivory razor scales carved by people who lived in those times and can then compare them with something made today of the same material, THEN I'll begin appreciating.

But seriously, no one 'needs' more then a moderate sized Vulfix Super brush either, and yet, many of us spend much more. This whole traditional wetshaving trip going on here is plainly more then just pure practicality.
Regards,
Gordon

True enough, but where do we distinguish between simple collecting and going to buffoonish extremes? As can be seen, I've drawn my line in this case.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:30 pm

Greg, Well, I suppose we all 'draw those lines' in different places, and in regard to different things. I know folks who spend thousands on TVs or audio equipment, and to me; I could care less....but to them, it seems to be important, or worth the money. The only reason that they're using this mammoth ivory is because they can't get, or legally use, current elephant ivory, and as was mentioned above, ivory was used for a very long time for scales for the finest open razors and for top end shave brush handles. So, to carry on that tradition, to make such new razors available, they have gone to using the mammoth ivory. It doesn't seem that outre to me. But then again, I'm pretty heavily into all this stuff, even if I don't personally use a straight. Now, a platinum handled shave brush, with diamond insets, THAT would be too much even for me ( chuckle ).
Regards,
Gordon

Scrapyard Ape · Post by **Scrapyard Ape** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:39 pm

bernards66 wrote: Now, a platinum handled shave brush, with diamond insets, THAT would be too much even for me ( chuckle ).
Regards,
Gordon

Good thing I did not mention my efforts at pestering NASA to give me a chunk of moon rock that I can carve into a brush handle.

Wait..... was that out loud?