Cracks on mammoth tusk. Is it a defect or charming detail?

[Alejanders]

I have made third pen with mammoth insert.
Cigar Americana, with a cap, so I decided to make three inserts.
Thick on cap, thinner near nib and more thin near to opposite side.

Thin inserts tends to crack. Twice I has to cut off insert and make new one.

And on the final buffing I has found cracks on all three rings.
So, be very careful with thin mammoth tusk inserts and do not overheat it while buffing.

For me, mammoth cracks is not a defect. It is evidence that that piece of bone was over 10 000 years under ground. But many people told me that any crack is a defect.



And, there is a pen and cracks.

 

[hewunch]

Nope, that is ivory. It moves...a lot!

 

[Monolith]

I agree, the crack isn't a defect. I don't think anyone buying a pen with mammoth ivory is looking for a perfect piece of ivory. Rather, they want a pen that shows off the age and rarity of the mammoth ivory (regardless of its flaws).

 

[Akula]

just ivory doing what it does

 

[Rangertrek]

Both of my prior experiences with this material also had small hidden cracks and defects in the layers. Its a natural material, and as mentioned above, will move after turning.