MOP/Pearl photography

[americanedgetech]

Geeeeze, you all have some beautiful knives.

The Burnt Chimney is spectacular, the Schratt... speechless, and those two Rough Riders of all things, WOW!

I have stayed away from MOP or any shell handle because they are so fragile but I guess I have to get at LEAST a couple. It's not like I'll be throwing them at anything... hopefully.

The first one Greg (the canoe).. Whatever you did is the Bomb Diggity.

[tophatjohnny]

These are my 3 Amigos. 11" (probably a 60's Beltrame.) 9" AKC and an 11" custom. White pearl is my favorite. Hope add more to the collection but finding the swingers in this color seems to be tough??

[tjmurphy]

Here are a couple that I have. First is a Camillus 72 rehandled in black lip pearl. The pearl came from Orvet and the rehandling was done by Glennbad. The second is a Lion Brand (C. Lutters?)

I have absolutely no idea how I got the pics. Photography is NOT one of my strong points.

[Dinadan]

Wazu, that is a fine selection of pearl knives. Of the ones you posted I think maybe that Case barlow is my favorite, though I have a suspicion that the silver fruit knife might look even nicer if photographed under the same lighting.

Sunknife - what is black pearl? I though it was just a darker tinted MOP. Nice RR, I have been tempted by the RR black pearl too.

Greg, you really caught the fire in that second photo, the one with the corkscrew. Very nice.

Tophatjohnny - welcome to the forum! I like those three Amigos: real beauties.

TJ - I really like that black lip pearl 72. Just nice.

[Dinadan]

Here is a Bulldog that I like. Photographed in late afternoon sun and then I played with the contrast to highlight the pearl.

[americanedgetech]

The top one looks like a living being! Fantastic!!!

Tj, GlennBad must have nerves of steel. He did a wonderful job. That is a skill that will be practiced way down the road for me. Like balancing balloons on sewing needles. WAY later.

[FRJ]

Very nice photo, Mel.

[LongBlade]

Great looking bunch of knives all ... a great thread Mel as it is one hard handle material to look good in photos - but of course alot of that has to do with the luster that remains in the MOP as well - some MOP is "fiery" while others lost luster and are more white in appearance...

So here are a few examples - one taken outdoors in late day light and the others an indoor light box so different lighting... the MOP that has more if fire or a fiery-look are hard to do and show the true colors etc as you see in your "in-hand"... I do have an Empire Tuxedo that has the most fiery MOP I have ever seen... will try and get photos as I can and add them but done in outdoor natural light and an indoor light box... that may be a better comparison But importantly in my hand the Torrey seems to have more fire in the MOP...

Anyway would appreciate it if you have any comments ...thanks...

Outdoor late day light:

Torrey Swell-Center 4-Blade Senator:

Indoor light box:

Southington Crown Pen:

Jonathan Crookes 4-Blade Congress:

Thanks all!

[FRJ]

I think they are all very successful attempts, Lee. Good job.

[americanedgetech]

That is a good point Lee.
The luster or fire never fades but rather, it may never have been there.
Nacre is the crystalline layer that creates the luster. That nacre layer depends on everything in the animals life from habitat to food sources to temperature to PH of the water it lives in.

You MOP lovers will love the information about the creation of your handles.
https://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/moth ... -pearl.php

That is just one site with a basic overview. You could actually take a semester in school, and still just learn enough to know what questions to ask.
My sister has her doctorate in Sustainable marine bio-science. (fancy title for a girl that saves sharks, and turtles but tries to run over hitch hikers) She wrote the papers on the decimated clam beds out in the Hamptons/South Fork, Long Island. Clam is a source of MOP. Not high grade like Abalone or Ormer but related

Point is MOP is graded just like any other gem stone BUT it is formed by the secretions of a living animal, and its environment. The variations are almost infinite.

[LongBlade]

Thanks Joe and Ken ...

Good point Ken about MOP - I couldn't remember "nacre" as the term - senior moment ... In addition to your points I was going to say that certain MOP handles show a natural demarcation that occurs in the MOP naturally that from my understanding was a nice aspect of knives one would buy in the old days... not sure where I read that but it sticks in my mind for some reason..... (I have at least one MOP that shows that "imperfection" as some say but in truth it was a nice addition when done (again based on prior reading ) but I will dig that out for photos as well)...

[americanedgetech]

That demarcation line is the line where the nacre stops, and the polished calcium carbonate begins. That line can be used to create detail or "drama" in a piece much like Jade or Turquoise pieces use their natural mineral veining as detail.

One of these days the artistic side of me will catch up with the mechanical side, and I just might surprise myself with something special. Till then it is all learn, learn, learn...

[danno50]

This is the nicest pearl I have. This is the best picture I have been able to take of it, however, it still looks way better in person.
Dan

[FRJ]

Nice Keen Kutter, Dan.
I think you got a great picture.

[danno50]

Thanks Joe.

[americanedgetech]

Danno, I think you did a beautiful job.
Are you going by Leviene's guidelines"?

I am trying to post acceptable photos, and what I see are beautiful pictures. Keep porting more of those, and I might learn to get that process down.
Thamks!

[danno50]

Thanks Ken. Not sure what you mean by "Levines guidelines"?
Dan

[sextonknifeworks]

I have several knives on ebay and generally speaking MOP is the hardest to get good pics of. I agree 100%. You either have too much light and the knife look like it has a solid white handle of not enough light and the knife looks like it has a solid white handle.

For me the easiest way to capture the light refraction on camera is too position the knife in my hand within my photo booth. This allows me to go nearer and farther away from the light while slightly pivoting the knife to catch that beautiful refraction.


Some pearl is not good and no amount of maneuvering will ever make it look good because the fire is just not there.

Another thing to remember that may have more to do with it than you think is the screen resolution of your monitor.

These pics are not great but decent.

(1st knife Kruse Hdw, 2nd knife is Holley Germany)

[Dinadan]

Good photos, Sexton. Both those knives have great fire.

Dan - that is the nicest Keen Kutter that I remember seeing!

Lee - I have a couple of older, small, knives that are so lacking in fire that I am not one hundred percent certain that they are actually MOP. You did a good job on those!

[Duffer]

Here are a few of my favorite MOP examples. From left to right: Dartt & Co. Warranted, Robeson, Richards & Conover & J Russell GRW.

[bkazz5]

I am no photorapher but I will show off a few pearls.

[Quick Steel]

Duffer, Your photo befits your knives, i.e. elegant.

[Duffer]

Well thank you very much Quick Steel! I am enjoying this parade of gorgeous MOP knives

[FRJ]

Lloyd, spectacular knives and spectacular photo. Very nice.

[supratentorial]

This is the nicest pearl I have. This is the best picture I have been able to take of it, however, it still looks way better in person.
Dan

Beautiful and well preserved knife !