Just got back from my first DIY Colorado elk hunt.  I was luck enough to shoot a nice cow with my longbow.  My question is:  What is the best way to clean up the ivories?  Also, I am looking for ideas to use/display the ivories.  Thanks

I had made a gold cap at the top and hung it on a chain arounfd my neck.

Rings are pretty cool with elk ivory

QuoteOriginally posted by BAO:
Just got back from my first DIY Colorado elk hunt.  I was luck enough to shoot a nice cow with my longbow.  My question is:  What is the best way to clean up the ivories?  Also, I am looking for ideas to use/display the ivories.  Thanks

After you scrape off as much gunk from the base, put them in your pocket with a bunch of coins and pack them around for a week. They'll get cleaned up nicely and have a nice shine to them.

Congrats on the cow!    

I had a necklace made up with trade beads and the elk ivory at the center. Cleaning it was easy: Just a little alcohol to clean off the grime and blood with a toothbrush with soap and water. Congrats! Those ivories are something special!

My preferred method is to go to your local tobacco vendor/smoke shop and get a small cloth/cotton bag of ready to roll leaf.

And like Tree Killa says - after you scrape off as much of the big stuff as you can on the base - drop the ivories into the pouch and tie it off good.

Carry it around in your pocket and when you remember, roll those buglers around in the bag with the tobacco a few times or more each day.  Those ivories will get nice and polished and take on a rich hue.  If they are from an older bull or cow, you will get nice concentric highlights on the worn surfaces.

When you are done, you can make your buddy or someone happy by giving them the pouch of tobacco....

:~)

Happy polishing!

Shoot straight, Shinken

Rocky Mtn. Scrimshaw does awesome work with Ivories & Bear Claws.Gold & Silver caps of many sizes & shapes.  they have a web-site.

 Congrads on the Elk.

Guys,

Are we talking teeth? sorry for the dumb question.

doeboy,elk have 2 teeth in the upper jaw which are actually vestigial canine teeth.They are about 1/2" wide,rounded and are actually ivory.They are ivory colored but have amber colored concentric rings and when polished up,make nice jewelry like rings,pendants etc..

Anybody have a picture?If not,I'll try to get one up this afternoon.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

I had a jeweler make a ring out of them for both of my girls. They turned out very nice.

Thanks JimB

Fellow member,"Schlaggerman",makes some nice wildlife jewelry. He recently made up an elk ivory with three diamonds pendant for my wife, and everyone that sees it likes it.
  It's the perfect arrangement. You continue to elk hunt, and she's happy with the results of your successes, especially when there are diamonds involved. That, my friend, is a win/win situation!