It will powder like sawdust from sanding, you can crush it shave it,do just about anything to it. The problem is the CITIES treaty. With the changes and The individual countries other laws dealing with Ivory. More than likely Flea bay has banned the sale as it can be a real pain in the a$$.
It is estimated that 46,750 mammoths have been excavated during the first 250 years since the Russian occupation of Siberia.
In the early 19th century mammoth ivory was used, as substantial source, for such products as piano keys, billiard balls, and ornamental boxes.
Some estimates suggest that 10 million mammoths still remain buried in Siberia.
And there are no restrictions with the trade in Fossil ivory. the local country laws and custom inspectors. Can be a royal Pain, somebody was moving back to Canada, half their collection of player piano and organs were shipped thru the east coast Toronto they made it thru no problem. The part that went to the customs base on the west coast. had areal conservation nut as a customs inspector, she burned all the ivory keys off of all the piano's/organs in that shipment. Of course the government said OH so SORRY!
The collection was ruined and the inspector, got an bad inspector note in her file.
You still can buy fossil mammoth ivory as there is a booming trade in Russia. There are a number of dealers on the net.
The replacement pool and billiard balls are made so they have the same properties as ivory, also the Tagua nut or what is called vegetable ivory
Before the use of modern plastics, tagua was a very common and popular material. Historically, it was used to make buttons, domino's, chess pieces, netsukes (Japanese carvings), dice, and many other small items. In the 1920's. 20 % of all the buttons produced in the U.S. were made of tagua,
Lee valley, and I thick wood craft sell it. It works just like ivory, and has the same composition as elephant ivory. Only you have to be mind full that it can have a hollow in the center. I have made a number of small carvings and jewelry and pendents over the years. When it yellows some like ivory people think that it is real ivory.
:clown:
