Scrimshaw (Teach me how!)

[Pignut]

Anyone got a clue how to do this?

 

[fred gordon]

Anyone got a clue how to do this?

I found that this is very similar to Pyrography. There are quite a few websites with instrictions on how to do it and what tools you need. I tried it on wood with a small soldering iron and it worked quite well. If only I could draw!

 

[pumbaa]

As far as i am aware , scrimshaw is usally done on ivory but there are other materials it will work on . It is done by scratching a picture on with a needle , then rub black indian ink into it . I havnt tried it myself yet , but i am sure some fantastic pieces could be done with colour .

Pumbaa

 

[British Red]

Yup, pretty much what pumbaa says. Often practiced on whaling ships so whale bone or often whale teeth were used. I've heard the tale it was when "becalmed" but most sailing ships had "make and mend days". Often just ornaments were made but functional items (such as corset stays) were also made. Corset stays had an emotional significance as love tokens as they were worn "close to the heart". The practice involves scratching out a pattern with a sharp object (a sailmakers needle was often the tool) and rubbing a darkening substance in. Ink is one, lamp black (which is also a tattoo dye traditionally) was also used as were a variety of stains.

I can think of no reason at all why this wouldn't work on a bone from another source.

I hope that helps a little

Red

 

[Pignut]

Indeed my practice was going to be done on antler, do you think this may be to pourous?

 

[ESpy]

Plastic teaspoons are a nice cheap source for scrimshaw material - and recyclable too. Essentially, all you need is a needle (preferably in a handle) and a tube of black oil paint. Incise, coat with paint, wipe off the excess leaving paint in the recesses. I use stipple (on the rare occasions I have the time), but other people use Exacto blades and the like. I'd practice building up tonal gradients first - just to see why doing really dark scrimshaw is no fun!

Bone and antler can be more porous, which is part of the reason materials like teeth, ivory (elephant, mammoth and walrus) tend to be preferred.

 

[andyn]

Indeed my practice was going to be done on antler, do you think this may be to pourous?

Nope, antler is fine for scrimshaw. Not tried it myself, although its on my list of things to do LOL.

Have a small neck knife that the sheath, made from antler, has been scrimshawed, although I don't think they use a liquid ink for it? Seem to remember one of ray's episodes had him draw something on some antler. Wasn't anywhere near as good as the example he showed though which was jaw droppingly amazing.

Anyway, good luck with it. Will be interested in seeing the results.

 

[Seagull]

Plastic teaspoons are a nice cheap source for scrimshaw material - and recyclable too. Essentially, all you need is a needle (preferably in a handle) and a tube of black oil paint. Incise, coat with paint, wipe off the excess leaving paint in the recesses. I use stipple (on the rare occasions I have the time), but other people use Exacto blades and the like. I'd practice building up tonal gradients first - just to see why doing really dark scrimshaw is no fun!

Bone and antler can be more porous, which is part of the reason materials like teeth, ivory (elephant, mammoth and walrus) tend to be preferred.

So, there you are, Pignut.
Just get your hands on the nearest dead Mammoth

Ceeg

 

[JohnC]

I've watched Wayland do designs on bone and antler at a meet and I think IIRC that his website has some pictures and examples..

 

[Wayland]

The method I use is slightly different from scrimshaw because I actually carve into the material to create a hollow which is then filled with a mixture of beeswax and charcoal.

The tools I use are simple small chisles and scrapers made of steel. Because bone or ivory are so soft even a sharpened screwdriver bit will do the trick.

 

[ESpy]

So, there you are, Pignut.
Just get your hands on the nearest dead Mammoth

A quick jaunt to Siberia, a good shovel and you're away

I haven't yet found a UK supplier that provided terribly good examples of mammoth ivory.

There's a guy by the name of Bob Hergert over at http://www.scrimshander.com - he has some details (and also a very good DVD). From what I've seen, he buys mammoth tusks near-whole and splits them... With a splitting maul, on the DVD. :yikes:

 

[Heathenpeddler]

QUOTE]
I'm in love... :You_Rock_

I want me one of those...

 

[ESpy]

Seaxy, isn't it?

 

[ESpy]

Stepping briskly away from the pun, here's a couple more links on techniques:

http://www.gustavus.com/heidi/scrim.html
http://www.marinearts.com/Pages/scrimshaw_technique.htm
http://www.scrimshaw.com/id12.html
http://www.lahainascrimshaw.com/history.html (lousy layout under Firefox)

More general:

http://members.aol.com/Mbscrim/PAGE1.HTM
http://www.hopscrimshaw.com/about/scrimhistory.htm
http://www.scrimshaw.com/id2.html

 

[Wayland]

QUOTE]
I'm in love... :You_Rock_

I want me one of those...

More info here

 

[longshot]

i saw the episode with ray mears in lapland i thought he rubbed powdered birch bark (the inner bark) into the scratch marks he drew into the handle to produce the contrast and bring out the picture.

anyone ever try doing this in birch?

dean

 

[sam_acw]

I like the curved one in the top picture. It looks like the Viking grandad of a Nessmuk!
What is it based on? Can you tell us anything about it or is it just a pretty standard knife?

 

[Pignut]

Wow!

Thanks all! will post some of my efforts up when I get around to it!

 

[Wayland]

I like the curved one in the top picture. It looks like the Viking grandad of a Nessmuk!
What is it based on? Can you tell us anything about it or is it just a pretty standard knife?

It's the first knife I made. The blade is an old kitchen knife and the profile is roughly based on seax finds.

These days I use it as a leatherworking knife because it is very sharp and thin.

 

[Jeff Wagner]

I was rummaging around and came across this pendant I made many years ago on elephant ivory.

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