IVORY POCKETKNIFE SCALES, CITES AND THE UK IVORY ACT 2018

[Rannard]

IVORY POCKETKNIFE SCALES, CITES AND THE UK IVORY ACT 2018


I began contributions to AAPK with pressed metal scale pocketknives by Richards, Sheffield. I am reviewing the different scale material of knives in my collection and will be covering other types in due course. Here are some higher quality knives with ivory scales.

The sale of Ivory in the UK is highly regulated. In accordance with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) it was permitted to sell ivory items worked before 1947. The UK Ivory Act 2018 that came into force in 2019 tightened this considerably in order to protect wild animals, particularly elephants, from being illegally killed for their ivory. There is now an almost total ban on sales of ivory of any age and export from and import to the UK. An exemption covers some items, if there is only a small amount of ivory, less than 10% by volume of the article, and it was made before 1947. Most small knives have more than 10%.

People selling old pocketknives generally cannot tell the difference between ivory, imitation ivory and bone so sales continue as before. One should be aware, as there are severe penalties for infringements. De minimis for slivers of ivory on small pocketknives is unlikely as the spirit of the Act is one of total war on illegal ivory sales. It is not illegal to own ivory. The prohibition is on selling, import and export. Also restrictive in Scotland is the requirement for vendors of knives to have a licence issued by the local authority. Shops usually conform. Most market traders don't but in the present regulatory environment are sensible enough not to sell knives to youngsters.

Ivory pocketknives can be dated from the maker's mark; in many cases proving the knife was made before 1947. Ivory scales being on high-end knives, most are marked. Four of mine have maker's marks. A fifth marked 'Sheffield Make' on the tang, is an advertising knife yellowed with age and with an Edinburgh Edwardian retailer's name and address engraved in the ivory. Ivory tends to yellow with age and my knives have four different shades from cream to tawny.

The difference between a good and a very good knife is small details. The quality of the Bennett and Heron knife is an example. They have taken the trouble to add another manufacturing operation, stamping 'oil the joints' on the tang, wanting the performance of the knife to come up to the standard of their workmanship.

Surfing the web and examining knives in my collection with a X10 hand lens, I learned to recognise real ivory. It is not difficult but a lens is helpful. One looks for lines from its layered structure. There are various laboratory methods, the biological can determine the animal species the ivory came from.

The massacre of African and Indian elephants and creatures like walrus is a tragedy so the legislation is necessary and overdue. Given the modern materials available there is no need to use ivory for knives or any other purpose. One likes to have some historical examples of this natural material in ones collection for completeness.

The legislation is highly restrictive considering that wooly mammoth tusks from animals extinct 4,000years ago are occasionally dredged up by trawlers in the southern North Sea and are subject to it. It is considered that for the legislation to have the desired outcome it has to be tight because of the tricks smugglers employ, passing off new ivory as old.

Greedy, irresponsible and murderous people who can't behave themselves cause everyone else to have less freedom. Restriction of knife sales in Scotland has come about because of teenagers killing each other. For similar reasons I am required to have a licence to own airguns when I have owned them, with no trouble to anyone, for sixty years.

Some controls are necessary to keep weapons out of the hands of those of unsound mind but in the UK they have not been competently drafted or implemented so have failed to protect the public. In consequence we have a total prohibition on the private ownership of handguns and some other types of firearm and shotgun magazines have restricted capacity. One hopes that the rigour of the ivory controls will be more successful in contributing to the protection of elephants.




10 March 2022

[btrwtr]

Very informative post. Sorry to say but I think several of the knives you posted may not be ivory.

[Rannard]

Wayne,

Many thanks.

You may well be right. I'm not an expert.

I am pleased though that I can now produce photographs that enable others to judge.

Regards,

Rannard

[edge213]

IVORY POCKETKNIFE SCALES, CITES AND THE UK IVORY ACT 2018


I began contributions to AAPK with pressed metal scale pocketknives by Richards, Sheffield. I am reviewing the different scale material of knives in my collection and will be covering other types in due course. Here are some higher quality knives with ivory scales.

The sale of Ivory in the UK is highly regulated. In accordance with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) it was permitted to sell ivory items worked before 1947. The UK Ivory Act 2018 that came into force in 2019 tightened this considerably in order to protect wild animals, particularly elephants, from being illegally killed for their ivory. There is now an almost total ban on sales of ivory of any age and export from and import to the UK. An exemption covers some items, if there is only a small amount of ivory, less than 10% by volume of the article, and it was made before 1947. Most small knives have more than 10%.

People selling old pocketknives generally cannot tell the difference between ivory, imitation ivory and bone so sales continue as before. One should be aware, as there are severe penalties for infringements. De minimis for slivers of ivory on small pocketknives is unlikely as the spirit of the Act is one of total war on illegal ivory sales. It is not illegal to own ivory. The prohibition is on selling, import and export. Also restrictive in Scotland is the requirement for vendors of knives to have a licence issued by the local authority. Shops usually conform. Most market traders don't but in the present regulatory environment are sensible enough not to sell knives to youngsters.

Ivory pocketknives can be dated from the maker's mark; in many cases proving the knife was made before 1947. Ivory scales being on high-end knives, most are marked. Four of mine have maker's marks. A fifth marked 'Sheffield Make' on the tang, is an advertising knife yellowed with age and with an Edinburgh Edwardian retailer's name and address engraved in the ivory. Ivory tends to yellow with age and my knives have four different shades from cream to tawny.

The difference between a good and a very good knife is small details. The quality of the Bennett and Heron knife is an example. They have taken the trouble to add another manufacturing operation, stamping 'oil the joints' on the tang, wanting the performance of the knife to come up to the standard of their workmanship.

Surfing the web and examining knives in my collection with a X10 hand lens, I learned to recognise real ivory. It is not difficult but a lens is helpful. One looks for lines from its layered structure. There are various laboratory methods, the biological can determine the animal species the ivory came from.

The massacre of African and Indian elephants and creatures like walrus is a tragedy so the legislation is necessary and overdue. Given the modern materials available there is no need to use ivory for knives or any other purpose. One likes to have some historical examples of this natural material in ones collection for completeness.

The legislation is highly restrictive considering that wooly mammoth tusks from animals extinct 4,000years ago are occasionally dredged up by trawlers in the southern North Sea and are subject to it. It is considered that for the legislation to have the desired outcome it has to be tight because of the tricks smugglers employ, passing off new ivory as old.

Greedy, irresponsible and murderous people who can't behave themselves cause everyone else to have less freedom. Restriction of knife sales in Scotland has come about because of teenagers killing each other. For similar reasons I am required to have a licence to own airguns when I have owned them, with no trouble to anyone, for sixty years.

Some controls are necessary to keep weapons out of the hands of those of unsound mind but in the UK they have not been competently drafted or implemented so have failed to protect the public. In consequence we have a total prohibition on the private ownership of handguns and some other types of firearm and shotgun magazines have restricted capacity. One hopes that the rigour of the ivory controls will be more successful in contributing to the protection of elephants.




10 March 2022

At least 3 of these are French Ivory celluloid. Not real ivory.

[Miller Bro's]

See this thread for genuine Ivory handles.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20207

[btrwtr]

Ivory celluloid can often be identified from pictures alone. Ivory celluloid will normally have well defined lines that are stright and run near parrallel to each other. Though possible, this is not a characteristic that is often seen in genuine ivory. The first, third and last knife shown appear to be ivory celluloid based on the lines seen in the handle material.

[edisdead]

Beautiful knives all the same.
If you vigorously strop ivorine (French ivory) it has a faint almost fragrant smell to it. The first pic below of the Butler penknife is where I noticed this first. It was a gift for a friend who would have wanted it shiny, hence the aesthetic refurb.

Reading this thread reminds me of the pictures of Rodgers' vast stocks of raw tusks in their stores. Hugely impressive until you think of the utter butchery behind it all.
I must confess to desiring old knives using it in its construction. Its a beautiful material.

[Ivoryman]

quote "Given the modern materials available there is no need to use ivory for knives or any other purpose."

There is a reason for it. It's called love, appreciation, gratitude to the creator, respect for the beauty of the material, and the superiority of the material that imitation ivory will never have or contain.

You may believe this, but it doesn't make it true. Modern materials are exactly why people like/prefer ivory and natural materials OVER modern materials. They don't have the look, the feel, the beauty, the shine, the grip, the heft or the power to capture your thoughts or feeling and emotion of the real animal and animal made material. They don't have the imbued essence. They don't have the life history, they don't have the feel, they don't have the beauty, the smell, or the spirit of the animal and they don't illicit the love, respect, awe for the creature that man made stuff will never posess. We slaughter animals for leather, meat, bone, feathers, teeth, horns, tusks, game management, to cull herds etc. etc. and it's all okay except for Elephants and ivory? There's a flaw in that reasoning. I agree over killing, over-using, over-exploitation is always wrong, but the reasonable management of any animal species has a place and a reason and a tradition that is worth noting and IMHO respecting of the animal. Do you lament the slaughter of animals for your Hamberger, your belt, your shoes, your bone handles and such? Why not? And if you have a problem with Elephant products it is very inconsistent as to suggest there is something wrong with ivory. Ivory comes from Warthogs, Mammoths, Mastadons, Elk tusks and others. None of your reasons holds true for any of these animals either. I have a bunch of ivory bought long before all the do gooder bans and it would be a shame, an insult to the animal and the creator to destroy it or not use it for a purpose and pretend there is nothing to it. Preserving ivory stimulates the imagination of the animal and the life it led and gave, it gives respect and further life to the dead animal. Part of the animal lives on through it's products and use. To destroy it and ban it is to deny it's contribution and superiority and greatness. This ivory will live on to inspire others to respect and appreciate the great, great material that it is, and instigate imagination and creativity and thankfulness for the material and the animal from whence it came.

[QTCut5]

There is a reason for it. It's called love, appreciation, gratitude to the creator, respect for the beauty of the material, and the superiority of the material that imitation ivory will never have or contain.

Well said, Ivoryman; and very eloquently, too.

[Ivoryman]

There is a reason for it. It's called love, appreciation, gratitude to the creator, respect for the beauty of the material, and the superiority of the material that imitation ivory will never have or contain.

Well said, Ivoryman; and very eloquently, too.


P3130558.JPGP3130559.JPGIvory LW Paul 1.JPGIvory LW Paul 2.JPG

Thanks Q. And quite glad you decided to post some of those beauties so we could drool over them and enjoy them from afar again in spite of those who think there is no reason for ivory to be used for knife scales or any other thing someone could think of. What a beautiful group, and a testament to the greatness of the material and the essence of the great beast contained within. And the thousands of years worth of ivory carvers and craftsmen who work such great material into such things of great, great beauty. Truly a sight to behold.

[bestgear]

P3130558.JPGP3130559.JPGIvory LW Paul 1.JPGIvory LW Paul 2.JPG

love those Lone Wolves Q

[cudgee]

[edisdead]

Lol

Some truly beautiful knives on display above. I cannot for a second deny my want for vintage knives with this material.
Re current elephant ivory harvesting I have to admit that I would sooner see the elephant wear its ivory than give its life for my desire for its tusk for my drawer queen knife. Ymmv.

Ps: you sure that ixl is ivory? Sorry to doubt its just I have period ivorine with slightly wavy pattern like that.