Thanks everyone! I really do appreciate the kind words.
Jim
I personally get it from a native friend who makes a living as a carver. He gets mammoth whale and other bone from family that live in the bush and collect the stuff to sell. As too where you can get it outside of Alaska I am not really sure. I have seen others working in it so it most be available. I do know that some materials have to be processed into craft work before leaving the state and some cant be worked by non natives at all. Whale baleen for example. I have been wanting to back a long bow with whale baleen as long as I have lived in Alaska, but it's not worth jail time and major fines to do it.
Couple of cautions and the reasons I wont be working in it unless I get a special order. Its very expensive. The quality of the bone varies greatly and you just cant tell if it's going to be crap till you cut it. Some is like chalk and literally falls apart on the drill press, other is like this piece and HARD! Partially mineralized in fact and very brittle. I turned 2 lower ends and 2 caps before I got one lower end to work! I literally burned through $100 worth of mammoth bone to get this pen. It is stunningly hard on tools and a sharp edge is an absolute must if your going to come anywhere near success. The dust produced is, well the only thing I can compare it to is pipe stone or alabaster, except it stinks of burning hair! Hope your shop isn't attached to your home like mine, I have to dust the whole house after a day of working Mammoth and my wife repeatedly reminds me what it smells like.........she was very happy to hear I am dropping it to a special order item.
