More on the subject of ivory

[J. Mark Lane]

This article is relevant to musicians and instrument makers who use or would consider using ivory for instrument parts, accesories, picks, etc.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/24/illegal.ivory.sales.ap/index.html

The article discusses how illegal ivory is carved in China and other places, then sold on eBay and elsewhere as "trinkets," supposedly legal stuff, but clearly not legal. Of course, such "trinkets" are often bought (no doubt innocently in most cases) by people who turn them into instrument parts etc. According to CNN:

"Conservationists calculate that, based on the number of items seized and sold, as many as 4,000 elephants, hippos and other ivory-bearing animals are being killed each year for their tusks."

Consider this when you think about using ivory.

Mark (who is *certain* nothing was killed to enhance his musical experience)

[Potosimando]

Thanks, J. Mark Lane...you can't stress this sort of thing too many times--at least in my world.

[mandroid]

What if it comes from old pianos?, presumably having died from natural causes.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[jasona]

Mark (who is *certain* nothing was killed to enhance his musical experience)
You mean, other than the tree? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Luthier Vandross]

I buy my ivory from estate tusks, I wouldn't buy ivory off of ebay anyways.

There are many other things I could say about both sides of the endangered species act, I just won't. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

M

[fatt-dad]

bumper sticker (last 12 years) on fatt-dad's 1984 Dodge Ram Prospector pickup truck - "Remember the Elephants, Forget the Ivory"

Honk if you see me in Richmond, Virginia (if you can see through the blue haze).

f-d

[steve in tampa]

The luthier I deal with gets fossilized ivory from Alaska harvested by the indiginous tribal folks by permit. All legal.

Having my wife's Martin set up (nut, saddle, bridge pins) with this material as soon a more comes in. It's not cheap!

[TeleMark]

I was in Shanghai a couple of years back, and went into the "Friendship Store," (the official souvenier store) and was shocked at the amount of ivory items available for sale. There was a carved ship that was about 6 feet long and 4 feet high that was entirely (at least as far as I could see) made of ivory. I'm pretty sure that no old pianos died to make that monstrosity.

It's like tortoise shell... It's very difficult to track the provenance of materials

Nothing else to add, just needed to toss that out.

TeleMark