Help Identify

[Jgrden]

My brother live in Oregon. He sent this material to me hoping to get a nice pen in return. Please help identify what it is: bone, horn, tusk, etc.?? I am sure the art work is laser, but not being well educated on the art do not really know what it is. Can you help identity





with these pictures?

More pictures coming with flash working.

 

[MikeinSC]

That looks like a horn to me.

 

[designer]

I wouldn't turn it. Maybe make a display case for it instead.

 

[Cwalker935]

could it be whale tooth?

https://www.google.com/search?q=whale+tooth&safe=active&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7GGHP_enUS459&biw=1344&bih=673&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=WjgDVc-IFYqpNvXmgKgK&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#imgdii=_&imgrc=pfv5_00kCb8ZnM%253A%3BfkjNAbBoSEJKYM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fp2.la-img.com%252F425%252F29984%252F11647341_1_l.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.liveauctioneers.com%252Fitem%252F11647341_pair-of-19th-c-whale-tooth-scrimshaw%3B600%3B456

 

[KBs Pensnmore]

I'm 99% certain that it is a whales tooth. The carving on it is called scrimshaw, (not laser done, as when these were done lasers were a LOOOOOONG way off, prior to about 1900,) when there were no whales to be caught/dealt with sailors had time on their hands, so they would carve the teeth with a pocket knife, a design that they liked. The blacking is carbon soot, either from lamps or the pots from the whale oil, that is rubbed in and then polished. Some of these items can be quite valuable. As someone said make a nice display box for it, BUT DON"T destroy it, as it is now a lost art form as whales are now protected.
Kryn

 

[Jgrden]

I'm 99% certain that it is a whales tooth. The carving on it is called scrimshaw, (not laser done, as when these were done lasers were a LOOOOOONG way off, prior to about 1900,) when there were no whales to be caught/dealt with sailors had time on their hands, so they would carve the teeth with a pocket knife, a design that they liked. The blacking is carbon soot, either from lamps or the pots from the whale oil, that is rubbed in and then polished. Some of these items can be quite valuable. As someone said make a nice display box for it, BUT DON"T destroy it, as it is now a lost art form as whales are now protected.
Kryn

Agreed, if it is whale tooth (it is identical to sperm whale tooth pictures) then we are going to rethink this pen making idea and put it on display. If it is resin, it will make a nice pen. I am looking for a reliable way to test it with normal garage products. What is resin allergic to, what will it react to?

 

[mredburn]

A Red hot needle or pin on the inside will either smell like burning plastic or something worse.

 

[KenV]

Looks like a sperm whale tooth - and the pen has to be worth 4-5 digits ( before the decimal point) if it is a whale tooth.

If real it is a collectable -- and the stuff that makes antique road show interesting.

They do make artificial ones but they do not look the same at the bottom end.