This thread here on the disposal of large, dead animals included a side-question as to whether or not Ivory could be salvaged from an Elephant that had died in a Zoo.
Apparently there’s a treaty that prevents people from buying and selling Ivory on the open market- so you can’t go to Alan’s Chateaux d’Ivoire and stock up on Ivory piano keys, pistol grips, and cutlery handles.
So, this got me wondering: is there a legal way for a private individual to acquire Ivory for private use, say, restoring an antique piano or cutlery set or something like that?
Laws vary from country to country, but there’s generally exemptions for antique ivory, so it can be salvaged from defunct pianos, for instance. In any case, it’s not always impossible to buy new ivory illegally, even if there might be legal problems importing it to your country of choice - The Latest News from the UK and Around the World | Sky News
You might find some in Japan as there was an ivory auction in Nambia in October 2008 (Controversial legal ivory sale raises $1.2M - CNN.com). Whether you would be allowed to bring it into the U.S is another question. There were pieces on Ebay, but they’ve banned the sale of them.
You can acquire walrus tusk ivory by salvaging it on the beaches up here. It has to be reported to the fur and feathers people, but you are allowed to keep it and do what you want with it for personal use. You just can’t sell it unless you are an Alaska Native.
I don’t think sperm whale ivory is all that common for scrimshaw work (I could be wrong). Most up here work with walrus tusk. You also find mammoth tusk pieces.
Oh I’m well aware of what scrimshanders work with [beautiful stuff] and the craft definitely started with our whaling brethren but it’s morphed into working with all kinds of bone no? The guy I know who has a shop in my town works with all different kinds of bones, he’s got some walrus tusk - but Chefguy’s mention of mammoth tusk pieces is fascinating. Can you really find the strewn areound up there, or are they like arrowhead down here, where you have to really keep your eyes peeled?
You can leagally buy ivory from Mammoth tusks, (they are well past being endangered!) expensive, and make sure you hang on to the documentation. There is also a particular (palm?) nut that makes a pretty convincing imitation. Google for bagpipe DIY forums for details.
Mammoth tusk finds are not all that uncommon, as this was the migratory route for a long time. I don’t know what the laws are concerning them up here, but I don’t think they’re protected like the walrus tusks are. Jewelry with mammoth pieces in it is common.
I guess that depends on what you mean by heavily regulated.
IANAL, but Narwhal artifacts in United States should be covered by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and CITES Appendix II. Trade in narwhal artifacts would, I think, be illegal in the US, although Canada and Denmark treat the narwhal differently.
If the narwhal tusk was obtained before 1979, it was likely grandfathered in and shouldn’t have any problems unless the museum wanted to sell it. After 1979, it would have required a permit from Canada or Denmark to export the tusk and a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife or the US National Marine Fisheries Service (I’m not sure which handles importation issues from outside the country) to bring it into the country.
I don’t actually know all that much about the legal issues involved.
That’s really fascinating about mammoth tusks! I had no idea there would be many of them around.
I have heard it claimed, that you can easily distinguish elephant ivory from mammoth ivory under a microscope. So, if the customs agents get suspicious, you just tell them to send it to a laboratory.
There was a store in Oregon that sold ivory slices. I have no idea what kind of ivory it was. I was stunned to see it and asked the owner. I can’t remember what he said, but clearly he had no concern over it.
