Arts & Literature

Ceremonial sword

I have a ceremonial sword how can I tell if the handle is bone or plastic

unicorn Thurs 15/05/08 15:38

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jno
Thurs 15/05/08
16:02

hold a lit match under it?

dundurn
Thurs 15/05/08
19:46

If it's totally smooth, no surface lines, indentations and one colour - probably plastic. If there are striations on the surface and a fair amount of pitting especially if the pits tend to be darker that the rest of the material - probably bone. Fine striations (straight, wavy or cross-hatched) but with few pits - probably ivory. Even experts can disagree sometimes at first sight.

Lil O'lady
Fri 16/05/08
19:57

Dundurn's right, bone / ivory and plastics / resins often fox even the experts.
One good trick is to get a magnifying glass and look underneath handles, in-carved bits etc. If this is moulded ie plastic or resin, you will see either a 'seam' of raised material or evidence of such a seam being filed away. If it is carved bone / ivory you will see the tool marks of the carver, extending the artwork under the handle.
With even greater magnification you can see the structure of the bone / ivory which difers from the structure of plasics but this is one mother of a magnification.

shylock73
Mon 19/05/08
23:55

If it`s very old it ain`t plastic thats for sure.

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