Scrimshaw on bone?

[jojo]

I have made a nice little knife with a bone handle and also a bone "claw". It was quite nice to work with the bone and it feels very smooth and warm. I fancy trying my hand at scrimshaw but have little idea how to! I know what it looks like but how do you do it? What tools are used? and can you do it on bones from the pet shop! Well, I stole it from my dog

Photobucket is back on so I can add the pics.

The difference in length of the two scales is due to my being too enthusiastic with the rasp.

 

[Eric_Methven]

You can do scrimshaw on any ivory, bone or antler. It needs to be smoothed to a high polish first, then you can incise lines or very fine dots to make the chosen design. I find a tungsten carbide etching pen from Halfords works really well, but you can use a hardened needle embeded in a bit of wood like a very sharp awl to make the marks.

Once these are made you fill them in with a darker colour. Most people use an oil based ink (like a printer's ink), but traditionally you'd use ground charcoal and beeswax. You soften the beeswax and knead the ground charcoal into it. You end up with a piece of very black beeswax. You keep it soft by kneading it in your hand and rub it into the pattern (a bit like using putty on a window frame.)

Use a small plastic or bone scraper and rub the edge over the pattern to remove excess wax. This will leave a little bit in the hole or line you scraped and you will see the pattern emerge.

Remember, if the bone isn't perfectly smooth, or has any scratches, the wax will enter these as well and it will become part of your finished design, so spend some time making sure it's really smooth. I finish with 1200 grit wet and dry then buff with a polishing compound before I even think of etching a design on it.

Eric

 

[jojo]

Thanks Eric. Just was I was hoping for. I am going to visit Halford tomorrow. I like the idea of using beeswax and charcoal. Presumably, you don't have to do the whole design before you use the wax? am I correct thinking you can do part of the design, wax/charcoal it, then continue scratching to refine the work, increase contrast, then add more wax etc? Any chance to see some pics of your work?

 

[Eric_Methven]

Thanks Eric. Just was I was hoping for. I am going to visit Halford tomorrow. I like the idea of using beeswax and charcoal. Presumably, you don't have to do the whole design before you use the wax? am I correct thinking you can do part of the design, wax/charcoal it, then continue scratching to refine the work, increase contrast, then add more wax etc? Any chance to see some pics of your work?

Yes, you can do it bit by bit to build up a picture. I haven't done any for a while - been too busy with leather work. All the bits I've done (which isn't a great deal) have been sold and that was before I got my DSLR, so no photos.

However, Wayland taught me the technique and he has loads of examples on his web site.

Eric

 

[fishfish]

bone is great for scrimshaw ! ive done plenty,cant find pics of the bone ones myself but heres a couple of pieces i did on mamoth ivory.

i use just a needle,and for streight lines a scalpal blade.please post pics when theyre done!

 

[jojo]

VERY nice, Fishfish! Where did you get the mamoth ivory from? Is the ivory softer or harder than bone?

 

[Wayland]

This is the sort of result you'll get with the method Eric has described.

The sami use powdered alder bark boiled in water or oil to a paste as a colouring medium which works well too. (or you can use cinnamon instead of alder which works just as well.)

 

[Draven]

This is the sort of result you'll get with the method Eric has described.

The sami use powdered alder bark boiled in water or oil to a paste as a colouring medium which works well too. (or you can use cinnamon instead of alder which works just as well.)

Awesome stuff
How do you get the larger black spaces such on that wee knife? Carve them away with a bigger tool, or just very gradually?

 

[Wayland]

It's carved deeper than true scrimshaw which is just scratched and then stained with lampblack.

This method is carved about half to a mil deep on the lines and the bigger patches are deeper still, sometimes a few mil deep.

Just remembered there is another example here

 

[Wayland]

Oh and here are a couple of sami examples too.

 

[jojo]

All those objects are amazingly high quality, Wayland. Are they all made with tools and techniques the vikings would have used? What is the purpose of what looks like a big needle at the top of the picture? And that large knife with the sheath is just a beauty.

 

[Wayland]

The large needle was originally made for thatching our house at Danelaw but it also gets used as a marline spike when sailing.

 

[fishfish]

VERY nice, Fishfish! Where did you get the mamoth ivory from? Is the ivory softer or harder than bone?

mamoth ivory was from ebay,theres usually some on there!also i think its harder thanbone but not by much.


wayland those viking style bits and bobs are fantastic!

 

[john scrivy]

you lot are truely very skillfull makes my spoons look silly the pictures are amasing