Tells Give Away ‘Not Quite Authentic’ Antique Scrimshaw (9/23/09)
I recently acquired a scrimshawed whale tooth, knowing full-well that it was NOT an antique, despite the scribed date of … More >>

Reference Books for the Scrimshaw Collector (6/12/09)
In life, you can learn from your own mistakes & successes, or learn from the mistakes & successes of others. … More >>

Restoring a Painted Scrimshawed Whale Tooth (12/19/08)
In early 2008, I acquired a vintage, 5-inch & 6.2-ounce whale tooth, carved to the shape of an eagle head. … More >>

Restoring Faded or Missing Scrimshawed Images on Ivory (12/19/08)
I recently obtained a small antique whale tooth displaying a minor scrimshawed scene of a ship on water. The image … More >>

Estimating the Age of Whale Teeth from Natural Dry-Out Cracks (12/19/08)
This guide outlines one basic method used to estimate the age of authentic whale teeth. Scrimshaw collectors are always interested … More >>

Distinguishing Authentic Antique Scrimshaw from Fraudulent Ivory (12/19/08)
Part 3 of 3 Another type of fraudulent antique scrimshaw is actually an artistic form of forgery. The 1975 Convention … More >>

Discerning Authentic Scrimshawed Whale Teeth From Re-Shaped Bone & Hippo Teeth (12/19/08)
Part 2 of 3 Two more types of scrimshaw “reproductions” are re-shaped cow bone and re-shaped hippo teeth, etched and inked … More >>

How to Discern Authentic Whale Tooth Scrimshaw from Resin “Fakeshaw” (12/19/08)
Part 1 of 3 The 1970s saw the implementation of the U.S. Federal Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA), and … More >>

Scrimshaw: Young Mother In Mourning (12/12/08)
Infant mortality in antebellum (pre-Civil War) America was quite high, especially in tight-knit New England cities, where contagions could be … More >>

A Scrimshaw Primer (11/23/08)
Traditionally, scrimshaw is the art of scribing an image onto a whale tooth, then enhancing that image by rubbing ink … More >>