Carving from Belgorod

[HAIIAPHNK]

42 minutes ago, druxey said:

Aleksandr: I just rotate the gouge without moving it sideways at the same time. That is asking for trouble! Just rotating it in a groove the right size in the wood wedge does it. The wear is evenly distributed and the tool remains at right angles.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much how I operate, too. This is what my cart looks like. Straight blades are sharpened with the fastener fully clamped. When sharpening semicircular ones, I loosen the nuts slightly so that the tool barrel can rotate. I roll the cart forward with one hand and rotate the tool in the slot with the other hand. The overall result is good. And you can cut. But as I said it all depends on how many sharpening cycles have passed. Little minuses gradually accumulate. This can not be avoided with this method of sharpening. I'm looking for a more precise option than this. 

 

 

 

[HAIIAPHNK]

27 minutes ago, wefalck said:

Ideally, one should have something like the Deckel SO (or one of the various old or modern clones), perhaps with a diamond honing wheel, for sharpening:

 

Yes, a professional machine. I daresay it's for cutting corners on gemstones? Although there would be a mandatory fluid feed and most likely the disk would be horizontal. But there's probably a lot of variations. 
If I had the blades separate from the handles, it would be the most ideal. As it is, the tool mount would need to be further modernized. Ni or tear the blades out of the handles and give the tool new ones so that the blades can be easily removed.
Having something like that would be a dream come true. Tell me, and similar machines are found somewhere in the sale. Just wondering what the cost might be? I will see the price, roll my eyes and once again realize that it will remain just a dream. I just want to cry...

 

[wefalck]

No, not for gem-stones, but you are right, these have a similar 'goniometer-head'. The Deckel SO is a tool-grinder for single-lip tools, such as D-bits, engraving cutters, and can be also used for chisels. The tool can be turned around its axis at a given angle to the grinding wheel, which is needed for hollow gauges. 

[HAIIAPHNK]

1 hour ago, wefalck said:

No, not for gem-stones, but you are right, these have a similar 'goniometer-head'. The Deckel SO is a tool-grinder for single-lip tools, such as D-bits, engraving cutters, and can be also used for chisels. The tool can be turned around its axis at a given angle to the grinding wheel, which is needed for hollow gauges. 

 

I'm not very good with computers. I didn't immediately realize how to find information. The name Dekel in the search showed different covers. It was only after some time that I realized to look at the picture. And I found some information about similar machines. It's a wonderful piece of machinery. It has, of course, some peculiarities. On the one hand, I saw that they have a set of collets of different diameters, which is a plus. But at the same time there are still some limitations, if we consider them in the matter of sharpening these chisels. I'm not sure if the pear-shaped handles will fit in the mount. Or even more correctly, it is almost certain that most likely this will not be realistic. Long handles, too. Still, there will be a lot more advantages. If access to such a machine became available, I would definitely consider the question of making removable handles. My very first carving kit had just such a removable handle. There was only one. It was in the shape of a pear, and all the blades had to be changed. It worked for me as a first set. Ah, back in my college days, how long ago that was.
I'll make a note of it, maybe one day I'll come across such a machine somewhere. I haven't found an ad for something like this yet.

[Keith Black]

 I'm out of me league so I have no idea if any of these would work.....

 

https://www.ebay.com/b/Deckel-Grinder/258072/bn_7023242635

[HAIIAPHNK]

14 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

I'm out of me league so I have no idea if any of these would work.....

 

Yes, those are the exact machines in question. I looked at them, then I looked at my carriage. Then I looked at the price of the machines and I went to cry. I even thought they would be more expensive, but I was still impressed with the price. Found a Chinese analog on Ali Express, costs half the price, but.... Many different But... Tomorrow I'll try how I can grind at least one test groove in the sharpening stone. Without a router. Already scared...

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, HAIIAPHNK said:

Then I looked at the price of the machines and I went to cry.

 Considering the cost of the carving sets I didn't think some of those prices were that out of line but then I'm not the one that has to write the cheque. 

[HAIIAPHNK]

33 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

Considering the cost of the carving sets I didn't think some of those prices were that out of line but then I'm not the one that has to write the cheque. 

 

Life changes. I used to be able to run like a deer and jump like a kangaroo. Not anymore. What I could afford yesterday is not so easy today. It took me a long time to save up to buy these kits even then. And not just those. I had my own workshop. Today it's a little corner in the basement or a dining room table. But sadder than that is another thought. Now I'm thinking about what could happen tomorrow. I wonder if I'll spend it on something I won't be able to use tomorrow. 
But I'm not complaining. On the contrary, I have the strength and desire to pursue my favorite hobby. My arms and legs are moving and my head is working. And many people do not have such riches as I have. You just need to make sensible decisions. There is a great desire to have all possible machines and tools. But sometimes you can think of something that can replace expensive solutions. 
Or maybe time will pass and I'll save up for such a contraption. And I'll be happy again.

[HAIIAPHNK]

Well, here are the final shots of Chewbacca. This is the end of all planned works.

This project was an unusual one. A lot of things were done for the first time. It was the first time I made a Russian lion. It was the first time I got acquainted with paduk. Very unconventional wood. It showed a lot of surprises and was not easy to work with. But I am glad that I did not stop and did not abandon this idea and brought it to the end. For smaller jobs this wood is probably not suitable. Unless there are some special designs where the fibrousness and frequent pores in the wood will be justified. In its classic form it is not the best material for ship models. But in my case it is the case when the disadvantages of wood did not affect the final result. Even on the contrary, it emphasized the desired effects. The final sculpture at the same time looks like a rustic, rough work. And at the same time, the color of the wood gives a completely opposite effect - something expensive and regal. And at the same time, even a fresh figure looks very old, as if it were found in the basement of some old castle. And I am sure that with time paduk will become darker, which will further enhance this effect.
I'm happy that I was able to work with plastic for the first time. And as a stand it looks both neutral and at the same time the smooth polished edges, the cold shine of the glass "dialogues" with the uneven tool marks on the sculpture itself. When I was still working with plastic, I heard doubts from some modelers. Why did you use plastic? 

Better get a tree, they told me. Like wenge. It'll look very organic. But in the end I was happy with the way the plastic looked. First of all, it immediately reminds me of some kind of museum piece. In the future, there will be other lions in this Pride parade. Perhaps some of them will be made of dark wood, wenge or hornbeam. I haven't made up my mind yet. But I am already sure that whatever the future lions will be in terms of color and tone, the plastic will not "argue" with any of them. It is the most neutral to any color of wood. And having seen how the Russian lion looks on a plastic pedestal I was only convinced of this.
And of course, this project was a premiere for me in the style of presentation. The variant with admiralty division into sectors, the nails shown were an unexpected solution for me. For someone this look may look controversial, but I'm glad I decided to do this experiment and I like the way this lion looks exactly. I hope that when the whole collection comes together it will be interesting to look at. And each of the lions will tell its own story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HAIIAPHNK]

This concludes the story of the Russian Lion. It turned out to be very long. I thought for a long time whether it was worth publishing such long posts. After all, I could have limited myself to photos. Thank you to everyone who participated in the discussions and showed their interest in my work. Without this reaction it would have been much more difficult. So I want to thank everyone who supported me with their interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wefalck]

I am not a carver at all, but I can see, where the texture of the chosen wood would pose serious challenges at this small scale.

 

I only know Wengé as wood for furniture (and don't like it's colour and texture, but it seems to be fashionable these days) and would have doubts, that it would be suitable for small-scale carving.

 

And, of course, I like the result of your carving efforts both, the execution of the carving itself and the colour of the wood.

[HAIIAPHNK]

What happens next? Most likely the next lion in this project will be the Turkish Lion. But this, the next story will be completely different. If only because I did not take photos of the work process. Yes, at the moment the work is about 70 percent done. But when I'll get through the remaining 30 I don't know. I don't think I'll finish this lion anytime soon. 
I'll probably only post the finished photos. Turkish ship sculpture is completely unknown to me. I know almost nothing about this school. Except that I know that there, as well as in other Muslim countries, they did not use images of people. That's why all sculptures on ships are either animals and birds. Or ornaments of some kind. The lion I chose for reference is practically the only feline predator I could find on the Internet. I am glad that it is very different in style from Russian, English or other European lions. Which is already a great thing. And to my great regret with such a strong peculiarity of appearance I am not at all aware of how sculpture developed in Turkey. Who knows, maybe in time I will find something interesting to share. But only time will tell.

[HAIIAPHNK]

44 minutes ago, wefalck said:

I am not a carver at all, but I can see, where the texture of the chosen wood would pose serious challenges at this small scale.

 

I only know Wengé as wood for furniture (and don't like it's colour and texture, but it seems to be fashionable these days) and would have doubts, that it would be suitable for small-scale carving.

 

And, of course, I like the result of your carving efforts both, the execution of the carving itself and the colour of the wood.

 

Thank you for your appreciation of my work. I'm very glad you liked it.

I completely agree with you. In shipbuilding, the choice of wood depends on a very large number of nuances. And not every wood is suitable for small figures. Fortunately, this particular lion project gives me more room for experimentation and choice. The size of the lions is much larger than the usual ship sculptures I've done before. Which just gives me the opportunity to use types of wood with more active fiber patterns or nostril pores in the material. 
I still have time to think about which types of wood to choose for the other lions. Perhaps some of them will be wenge or another similar wood with a dark chocolate color. So far this is a question that has not found a definite answer.
Virtually 100% among the lions will also be a lion made of bone. This is another puzzle that has yet to be solved. It is very desirable to make a French lion out of this material. It seems to me that a French lion just has to be made of that material. And it's either going to be cow bones, like the French captive modelers did. But then I would have to decide how to make a large figure from small fragments of bone. For obvious reasons, cow bones will not make it possible to find a solid piece of material. So it would have to be a prefabricated structure. And that's going to be a challenge. All hope is that the current work on the Fulminant ship will help to find suitable thoughts on how to accomplish this.

And the skill of working with bone, of course. Or there is an option to take artificial substitutes for elephant bone for this lion. 

But again, I've gotten sidetracked.

I just wanted to show that the choice of material for a complete lion pride collection is a separate topic. Interesting and not easy. I want the material and the image of a particular lion to complement each other. In the case of the French lion, this connection is semantic. And in the case of wenge, this wood can give the right parallels with specific historical prototypes. For example, with Spanish lions. Several of the lions of this shipbuilding school are dark. And it would be appropriate to emphasize this very point. At least, that's what I think.

 

 

 

[Bob Cleek]

51 minutes ago, HAIIAPHNK said:

Virtually 100% among the lions will also be a lion made of bone. This is another puzzle that has yet to be solved. It is very desirable to make a French lion out of this material. It seems to me that a French lion just has to be made of that material. And it's either going to be cow bones, like the French captive modelers did. But then I would have to decide how to make a large figure from small fragments of bone. For obvious reasons, cow bones will not make it possible to find a solid piece of material. So it would have to be a prefabricated structure. And that's going to be a challenge. All hope is that the current work on the Fulminant ship will help to find suitable thoughts on how to accomplish this.

And the skill of working with bone, of course. Or there is an option to take artificial substitutes for elephant bone for this lion. 

But again, I've gotten sidetracked.

Not side-tracked at all. Interesting thoughts. Ivory is, of course, out of the question and I suppose elephant bone would also be similarly unavailable and illegal to trade in most everywhere in the civilized world.  The laws are labyrinthine, though. Sometimes ivory is still released on the world market from various legitimate sources, such as national "treasuries" of confiscated poached elephant ivory.  Some nations permit antique (over 100 years old) ivory items to be imported and/or sold, while others do not. Some permit exceptions for possession of musical instruments containing ivory, such as antique piano keys. Reportedly, the acquisition of "legal" ivory is not recommended because, due to changing national and international law, products made from protected endangered animals change so fast that one can't rely on any one law remaining in effect for any great length of time. As you probably know, the same is true for protected woods, e.g., African ebony and Brazilian rosewood, etc. These international trade restrictions commonly adversely affect musical instruments (with stories of famous musicians finding their prized antique instruments confiscated by the customs authorities when they travel internationally to perform, but they certainly threaten the same sort of nightmare for any "traveling" ship model which may contain now-prohibited endangered materials.

 

My dentist is a very accomplished miniature carver, producing very fine human figurines of about an inch tall out of various materials used for dental prosthetics and the like. Not that I otherwise ever look forward to going to the dentist, but I'll have to ask her when I see her next what synthetic ivory-like materials are best for carving small details. Plastics pose the problem of possibly melting from the heat of a rotary carving burr, but there must be stuff dental technology has developed to get around that.

 

As for bovine bone, one source I've found that's quite convenient is our pet stores here in the U.S. I don't know if the same is true in Germany, but all U.S. pet stores sell sterilized, fully dried cow bones in various shapes and sizes which are for the enjoyment of people's pet dogs. (They also sell "smoked" flavor cow bones, but these are stained brown and don't appear as the boiled, dry white bones used in the French prisoner-of-war bone models.) While I haven't gotten around to it as yet, I expect that when the occasion arises next, I will try cutting up some of these bones and epoxy-laminating them where necessary to obtain the size and shape of stock I require. Straight leg bones of eight to ten inches are available, as are knee and hip joint bones. The joint "balls" have a finer-grained texture and polish up better than the non-joint bone and can be as large as around three inches in diameter and solid throughout. 

 

Animal bones do have one minor drawback, however. If a rotary dental burr is used to carve them and the burr gets hot enough from friction to burn the bone material, it has a rather disagreeable aroma. I expect, though, that using a modern air turbine dental handpiece with a water-jet cooling feature should negate that. I think, though, that most carvers using dental burrs prefer to use the old belt-driven laboratory "dental engines" which are much easier to control in a "high(er) torque - low(er) speed" mode than the newer turbine and micro-motor handpieces that operate on a "low(er) torque - high(er) speed" basis and the slower speed should keep the heat down if one takes care not to overdo it.

Edited April 8 by Bob Cleek

[druxey]

I am aware of an antique ship model with ivory steering wheel and capstan. These pieces had to be removed before the model was allowed to be exported! They were reunited much later, but that is another story.... Please do not enquire!

[wefalck]

There are precedents for ivory antique containing shipmodels (and other artefacts indeed) sent to exhibitions abroad that were held up by customs and were only released after a long battle. It's not necessarily the fault of overzealeous customs officials, but that of imprecise and summary legislation. So I would rather not use any ivory, even if mamuth ivory is legal.

 

In Michelstadt/Odenwald (Germany) there is a traditional centre of ivory working and an ivory-carving school, which has been hit very hard by the ban on ivory. However, they today use man-made substitutes. These don't seem to be easy to obtain on the market, but I once bought some small pieces for a restauration project there from a workshop.

 

Edited April 8 by wefalck

[HAIIAPHNK]

19 minutes ago, Bob Cleek said:

Not side-tracked at all. Interesting thoughts. Ivory is, of course, out of the question and I suppose elephant bone would also be similarly unavailable and illegal to trade in most everywhere in the civilized world.  The laws are labyrinthine, though. Sometimes ivory is still released on the world market from various legitimate sources, such as national "treasuries" of confiscated poached elephant ivory.  Some nations permit antique (over 100 years old) ivory items to be imported and/or sold, while others do not. Some permit exceptions for possession of musical instruments containing ivory, such as antique piano keys. Reportedly, the acquisition of "legal" ivory is not recommended because, due to changing national and international law, products made from protected endangered animals change so fast that one can't rely on any one law remaining in effect for any great length of time. As you probably know, the same is true for protected woods, e.g., African ebony and Brazilian rosewood, etc. These international trade restrictions commonly adversely affect musical instruments (with stories of famous musicians finding their prized antique instruments confiscated by the customs authorities when they travel internationally to perform, but they certainly threaten the same sort of nightmare for any "traveling" ship model which may contain now-prohibited endangered materials.

 

Yes, the question about elephant ivory or mammoth bone is a very difficult one. I'm definitely not going to look for that material. If only because of its expensive cost. 
I am aware of the fact that one can find legal ways to acquire it. For example, in the form of strips of bone from musical instruments. Or old billiard balls. Maybe there are some other sources where you can get this material and without getting involved in smuggling or something else illegal. 
An artificial substitute would suffice for me. Or a natural substitute that superficially resembles bone, such as tagua nut.
I wonder how exactly you can defend yourself against the charges. Let's say I use ordinary cow bone in my work. How can I prove that it is cow bone? And not elephant ivory or walrus tusk? For example, if I post my work process on the forums and the photos show exactly what material I am using, will that be a sufficient argument that I have not done anything illegal?

[Bob Cleek]

7 minutes ago, HAIIAPHNK said:

And not elephant ivory or walrus tusk? For example, if I post my work process on the forums and the photos show exactly what material I am using, will that be a sufficient argument that I have not done anything illegal?

Probably a receipt for the purchase of the bone or synthetic material would be a good first step. If a real problem was anticipated, I expect you could get a certificate from some sort of testing laboratory that confirmed, through DNA testing, perhaps, that the bone was not from a protected species. Bone, of course, is readily distinguishable from ivory, but I expect your concern is well-founded that it would be difficult to distinguish a piece of cow bone from a piece of bone from a whale or an elephant short of some sort of scientific analysis. 

[wefalck]

In principle it is easy to show whether a material is bone or ivory, but one has to take a sample and make a thin-section for microscopic inspection. Apart from the DNA-analysis, one can also take samples for a C14-analysis, which shows the age of the material (in the case of historic ivory).

 

[HAIIAPHNK]

I too have come to the conclusion that research is the only way to prove accurately. Even then, there are likely to be problems. For example, they may demand not just a certificate of origin, but that the certificate was made here and not there. They will say that they trust this laboratory, but not this one. 
A receipt from the purchase may help. It might not. There will always be nuances. For example, what prevents you from buying one thing and making it out of a different material? 

 Or, for example, I have an old piano, which I got from my grandmother, or grandfather's billiard set. If I didn't buy it, but received it as a gift, I can't prove anything. 

In this case, pictures that show step by step that I took exactly the bones from the grocery store, boiled them, sawed them apart and cut them out would be more valid than just a receipt. In theory.
There's a lot of nuance and human error involved. For some people, one piece of evidence will be enough, and for others, no evidence at all will be enough. Plus, as mentioned, laws change very quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow there are new clauses that outlaw cow bones too. If killing elephants is a crime, why not outlaw any other killing of animals as well. Today it still seems absurd and impossible. But what will happen tomorrow?

[Keith Black]

 The trade in elephant ivory is one of things that at some point mankind will have to answer for. The elephant ivory trade is one of the saddest chapters of our species. 

 

 Having said the above, the trade in walrus ivory is another matter. Fossil walrus ivory is fairly plentiful (I owned a fossilized walrus tusk once upon a time) and is legal to buy and sell. My wife being Alaska native allows us to posses walrus ivory obtained after the 12-21-1972 law. We have several pieces both pre and post Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

 

 Very few walrus are harvested annually for their ivory as there are numerous walrus found along the beaches after being killed by polar bears, plus harvesting a live walrus is a Herculean task.   

 

 If one wanted to carve walrus ivory using fossilized ivory presents the least amount of issues. 

 

WALRUS (non-fossil)-
Regulated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act. Raw walrus ivory predating the Dec. 21, 1972 law, tusks bearing the Alaska state walrus ivory registration tags or post-law walrus ivory that has been carved or scrimshawed by an Alaskan native (Eskimo) are legal to buy, possess, and sell. Raw walrus ivory obtained after 12/21/72 is not legal to buy or sell unless both parties are Eskimo (it is legal to own). A $30 export permit is required to ship walrus ivory or oosik (legal as per above) out of the United States.

FOSSIL WALRUS IVORY-
Not restricted as it pre-dates the 1972 cutoff, it is legal to buy and sell anywhere within the United States. Shipping ivory or oosik (fossil walrus penal bone) out of the U. S. requires a $30 permit.

 

https://scrimshop.com/shopcart/items/materials2.html

 

https://www.scrimshawcollector.com/product-category/raw-ivory/fossil-walrus/

[HAIIAPHNK]

1 hour ago, Bob Cleek said:

Not side-tracked at all. Interesting thoughts. Ivory is, of course, out of the question and I suppose elephant bone would also be similarly unavailable and illegal to trade in most everywhere in the civilized world.  The laws are labyrinthine, though. Sometimes ivory is still released on the world market from various legitimate sources, such as national "treasuries" of confiscated poached elephant ivory.  Some nations permit antique (over 100 years old) ivory items to be imported and/or sold, while others do not. Some permit exceptions for possession of musical instruments containing ivory, such as antique piano keys. Reportedly, the acquisition of "legal" ivory is not recommended because, due to changing national and international law, products made from protected endangered animals change so fast that one can't rely on any one law remaining in effect for any great length of time. As you probably know, the same is true for protected woods, e.g., African ebony and Brazilian rosewood, etc. These international trade restrictions commonly adversely affect musical instruments (with stories of famous musicians finding their prized antique instruments confiscated by the customs authorities when they travel internationally to perform, but they certainly threaten the same sort of nightmare for any "traveling" ship model which may contain now-prohibited endangered materials.

 

My dentist is a very accomplished miniature carver, producing very fine human figurines of about an inch tall out of various materials used for dental prosthetics and the like. Not that I otherwise ever look forward to going to the dentist, but I'll have to ask her when I see her next what synthetic ivory-like materials are best for carving small details. Plastics pose the problem of possibly melting from the heat of a rotary carving burr, but there must be stuff dental technology has developed to get around that.

 

As for bovine bone, one source I've found that's quite convenient is our pet stores here in the U.S. I don't know if the same is true in Germany, but all U.S. pet stores sell sterilized, fully dried cow bones in various shapes and sizes which are for the enjoyment of people's pet dogs. (They also sell "smoked" flavor cow bones, but these are stained brown and don't appear as the boiled, dry white bones used in the French prisoner-of-war bone models.) While I haven't gotten around to it as yet, I expect that when the occasion arises next, I will try cutting up some of these bones and epoxy-laminating them where necessary to obtain the size and shape of stock I require. Straight leg bones of eight to ten inches are available, as are knee and hip joint bones. The joint "balls" have a finer-grained texture and polish up better than the non-joint bone and can be as large as around three inches in diameter and solid throughout. 

 

Animal bones do have one minor drawback, however. If a rotary dental burr is used to carve them and the burr gets hot enough from friction to burn the bone material, it has a rather disagreeable aroma. I expect, though, that using a modern air turbine dental handpiece with a water-jet cooling feature should negate that. I think, though, that most carvers using dental burrs prefer to use the old belt-driven laboratory "dental engines" which are much easier to control in a "high(er) torque - low(er) speed" mode than the newer turbine and micro-motor handpieces that operate on a "low(er) torque - high(er) speed" basis and the slower speed should keep the heat down if one takes care not to overdo it.

 

I'm late, but still noticed the corrections and additional information in your post. And wanted to respond to these thoughts.
Maybe this will be helpful. Give a big hello to your dentist. For some reason I pictured him carving miniature sculptures directly into the patient's mouth. Why? Right out of a tooth or dental modeling compound. I imagined the patient coming home, opening his mouth, and there..... 
Now, on a more serious note. Try telling your friend to look for a tagua nut. Very interesting stuff. Especially if you need to make very tiny pieces. And even if you have to glue a common blank from different parts, it is very easy to do with ordinary second glue. Unlike bone, this glue is quite sufficient for a very secure connection. In appearance, the color is very similar to ivory. Very easy to work with both hand tools and electric hand routers. There is no unpleasant odor at all like bone. Which is just a huge plus. Maybe this is just the thing to help your dentist friend make his carvings even more interesting.
I have a project in the works right now with the French ship Fulminant. I'm posting this thread right here:

 

 

There's just so much to do with bone carving. At least one day I will get to that stage of the work as well. So in this thread is what I had time to learn and try. If you are interested, you can have a look, suddenly you will find something useful for yourself or on the contrary, you will see some questions in which you can enrich me with your hints and advice. 
In both cases I will be only glad.

 

[druxey]

A synthetic substitute is the obvious choice to avoid any problem!

[wefalck]

In Germany these nuts are sold as 'stone-nuts/Steinnüsse' and have been used since about 200 years to make buttons (apart from using antlers and horns) - before plastics (first celluloid and bakelite, then hydrocarbon-based plastics) took over. 

 

I have to make a mental note again, to get some samples, because I am still looking for a dense, homogenous but not brittle material to make really small blocks (say 1 mm long).

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, druxey said:

A synthetic substitute is the obvious choice to avoid any problem!

 

 There is no problem with fossilized ivory both walrus and mammoth tusk.

 

 Hippo and warthog ivory is also legal to own in the USA at this time. The Humane Society has given notice to sue the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect Hippos under the Endangered Species Act, see the below. 

 

https://www.humanesociety.org/news/legal-action-launched-protect-hippos-under-us-endangered-species-act

[mtaylor]

I just want to step back a bit and say the the carving in this topic is wonderful and also all the conversation about the methods, woods, and various bits of information in this area.    Thanks for doing this and I'm looking forward to your next project.

[HAIIAPHNK]

6 hours ago, mtaylor said:

I just want to step back a bit and say the the carving in this topic is wonderful and also all the conversation about the methods, woods, and various bits of information in this area.    Thanks for doing this and I'm looking forward to your next project.

 

Thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot to me. I really wanted to share not only the result of my work, but also the emotions that I had during the entire working process. And this is directly related to those discoveries and solutions to technical issues. And with historical stories.
I tried to make the post interesting to read and watch.
It is very important to know that this approach is actually interesting to someone, and not just me doing it for myself.

[empathry]

On 4/8/2024 at 1:27 PM, wefalck said:

In principle it is easy to show whether a material is bone or ivory, but one has to take a sample and make a thin-section for microscopic inspection. Apart from the DNA-analysis, one can also take samples for a C14-analysis, which shows the age of the material (in the case of historic ivory).

 

... and in such a case, why not set the entire ship model on fire and analyse the wave lenght(s) emitted by its raw products through a spectrometer ? 

The customs would get from its ashes all the requested (legal) answers !  

Are we turning to Ray Bradbury Farenheit 451 ?

Will books be burnt ?

Will art be burnt ?

We'll ourselves be burnt and euthanized (... obviously for "our" security) in order to fertilize this planet ?  

Edited April 9 by empathry

[wefalck]

Thank the zealous law-makers, the custom-officials are only executors - today no one uses common sense and judgement anymore in case some greedy lawyer finds a way to sue them.

 

BTW in earlier post I erroneously wrote the German Ivory Museum is in Michelstadt, it is in Erbach, another town nearby: https://elfenbeinmuseum.de/.

[HAIIAPHNK]

5 hours ago, wefalck said:

BTW in earlier post I erroneously wrote the German Ivory Museum is in Michelstadt, it is in Erbach, another town nearby: https://elfenbeinmuseum.de/.

 

Thanks for the very interesting link. I've bookmarked it. In the spring there are plans to go to Nuremberg to visit friends. It would be a lie to say that we’ll make a detour along the way and stop at the museum. This trip is hard for me. And I know for sure that during my trip to Nuremberg, if I even suggest making a stop, my family will not understand me. And they will rightly say that even if they agree, I will be the first to break. And you can only carry me around the museum. Or drag it. I don't mind, but other people definitely won't understand.
But after Nuremberg it will be possible to check how much such a trip will cost me and make plans.
There is a maritime museum in Hamburg. And he's just great. 9 floors! And everything is in the ships! This is a fairytale. I was even able to convince my family to go there twice. For the first time we went specifically to this museum. And after the long journey it was enough for me to get to half of the museum. And I begged for two years to go there again. And already from the second time I was able to examine it completely. It was a good trip. Highly recommend. And if you go with your family, I can add advertising for them too. You can say that after the museum you will take your family to a musical. There are different performances, but the best is The Lion King. Believe me, not only will your children be delighted, but you will have a great time too.
Well, I made an advertisement for the Hamburg Maritime Museum. I'll go ask them for a free ticket for advertising.