Walrus Oosik

[Chasper]

This is a piece of walrus oosik (google it) it is fossilized from an ancient walrus.

As you can see it is large enough for a pen blank; a little over 3/4 inches diameter and about 4 3/4 long.

It has the look and feel of ivory, but it is fossilized bone. In the center there is a visably open pourus area, something like you might find in antler or small animal bones.

Given that a walrus has the largest body size to legnth ratio for this body part, I think there might be an upscale pen buyer with enough ego to want this pretty badly (meet Bob).

I've been <s>holding on to it</s>, make that, "I've owned it" for a year or so but am a little reluctant to start working on it. It is only moderately valuable but I would hate to destroy something that is thousands of years old.

Has anyone had any experience drilling and turning this material?

 

[ed4copies]

Yes, others have done it- but not me.

 

[DCBluesman]

I've made a pen from oosik. It is a pain to deal with. Treat it like mammoth or elephant ivory. There are quite a few articles in the archives about both. There's even an "Ode to an Oosik". [8D]

 

[ed4copies]

This is what it can look like:

<br />

The picture was forwarded to me by Eagle with permission to post for your reference.

Enjoy!!

 

[Chasper]

Thanks Ed. That is about how I was imagining how it would turn out. I did run across a few more pictures, some of them are darker but I think the piece I have will be about this color.

I haven't had much luck searching in the archives Lou. I keep getting timed out, probably a problem on my end, I'll try on a different computer tonight.

I'm going to spend some time reading about this before I start drilling and turning. This material has been preserved for several thousand years, it would not be right to tear into it and possibly destroy it because I had not spent another month or whatever it takes to learn how to work it.

 

[ed4copies]

Gerry,

You don't have an e-mail connection to this site, send me an e-mail, please.

Ed

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by Chasper
<br />Thanks Ed. That is about how I was imagining how it would turn out. I did run across a few more pictures, some of them are darker but I think the piece I have will be about this color.

I haven't had much luck searching in the archives Lou. I keep getting timed out, probably a problem on my end, I'll try on a different computer tonight.

I'm going to spend some time reading about this before I start drilling and turning. This material has been preserved for several thousand years, it would not be right to tear into it and possibly destroy it because I had not spent another month or whatever it takes to learn how to work it.

Gerry, don't use the advanced search feature. It doesn't work correctly.

 

[DCBluesman]

http://www.boonetrading.com/WorkingInstructions.html

 

[txbatons]

Yep. I'm sure there's a urologist out there who'd buy it. []

 

[Woodlvr]

Hey Ed,
Thank Eagle for allowing us to see that beautiful pen.[]

Mike