Care & feeding of ivory grips?

[shoot!!!]

Bought this little, POS revolver, .22 short circa 1870, nickled, engraved, ivory grips turning yellowish. The best of the cheap guns, but CUTE,, how do you look after the real ivory grips?? Loosened the screws,, is there anything else you can do to preserve them? This is the nicest, not the best , but nice,, also the nickled finish,, oil it ?? Any help will be appreciated..

 

[SandRoad]

Ivory is porous, and old ivory always turns yellowish. White vinyl eraser, or use the high tech mixture of ethyl alcohol and distilled water, commonly known as vodka.

We have used this on old ivory piano keys.

 

[shoot!!!]

Ivory is porous, and old ivory always turns yellowish. White vinyl eraser, or use the high tech mixture of ethyl alcohol and distilled water, commonly known as vodka.

We have used this on old ivory piano keys.

I don't want to bleach them,, just don't want to have them crack and fall apart,, but a liberal amount of vodka might make me look at them differently!! Like the lines on my face,, I just don't want any big cracks.

 

[shoot!!!]

Ivory is porous, and old ivory always turns yellowish. White vinyl eraser, or use the high tech mixture of ethyl alcohol and distilled water, commonly known as vodka.

We have used this on old ivory piano keys.

I don't want to bleach them,, just don't want to have them crack and fall apart,, but a liberal amount of vodka might make me look at them differently!! Like the lines on my face,, I just don't want any big cracks.

 

[ruffbird]

I have read on other forums where a small amount of baby oil was applyed with a soft rag. About once a year just to keep em from developing cracks due to drying out over time....

 

[SandRoad]

I don't want to bleach them,, just don't want to have them crack and fall apart,, but a liberal amount of vodka might make me look at them differently!! Like the lines on my face,, I just don't want any big cracks.

The alcohol won't "bleach" them, but it will tend to cut through oily grime on the surface and near surface and clean them without hurting the ivory.

 

[BCRider]

There's a very common old plastic product called "ivoroid" that was used on a lot of things to give the look of ivory without the expense. Since you say it is a cheap gun I strongly suspect that this is the "ivoroid" and not the far more expensive real thing. Ivory has NEVER been cheap or even resonable at any time in history so to find it on anything but the finest or most obsessed over is highly unlikely.

And don't ask me what ivoroid is actually made from. No clue. But I'm sure some searching will turn something up. It's been around since at least the mid wars times.

 

[shoot!!!]

Iveroid, checked it out, lots of "gitar stuff" but I think these are real. Inside of the grips, there are grooves similar to when you cut bones, plus the serial # is marked in each grip. I have a gunsmith and antique collector buddy who will check em out. Seen lots of plastic stuff but these seem to have an irregular yellowing and lines thru them, on the back it looks more like saw marks than casting marks?? will keep you informed. It's a Senator No1, cute lil thing.

 

[Canada Ammo]

Iveroid, checked it out, lots of "gitar stuff" but I think these are real. Inside of the grips, there are grooves similar to when you cut bones, plus the serial # is marked in each grip. I have a gunsmith and antique collector buddy who will check em out. Seen lots of plastic stuff but these seem to have an irregular yellowing and lines thru them, on the back it looks more like saw marks than casting marks?? will keep you informed. It's a Senator No1, cute lil thing.

Look very closely at the "ivory" if you see grain it's real. or heat up a nail and press on a hidden spot if it smells like burning hair it's real.

 

[shoot!!!]

Lots of grain,, and the smell of burning hair reminds us that it's BBQ season,, No, the grain is there! Will burn tomorrow. Ah, the smell of,,,, sounds like a movie theme,, the grain is not uniform, neither is the yellowing, small bruise on the back of one grip has more yellowing.. The engraving is not factory, cause it's not prefect and some brass seems to show thru,,nest:

 

[shoot!!!]

OK. my old, antique collecting, gunsmith friend came bye,, IVORY!! He also recommends cleaning with alcohol, followed by oil.. Engraving was done by hand, not machined, sooo, my lil POS, is a quality POS.. Nice little .22 short revolver , nickled and later engraved.. Thx for your input, pics available by email if your curious,, or if someone is more adept than I, I'll email them!!

 

[cookie077]

picture

Here is you photo.

Cookie

 

[superbikeracer]

One of the best things for it is handling it. The oils from your skin help to keep it conditioned to prevent drying out and cracking.

 

[Kodiak Outpost]

That's a neat little gun. I like it.

 

[C Broad Arrow]

I like the piece of paper under the gun.

 

[shoot!!!]

I like the piece of paper under the gun.

The paper is just to give the pistol a size reference. Gave the wife one now and then for birthday's etc, checked the safe,, only one left,, so I gave her $100.s for it and now it's an antique!! She took them 1 at a time to the CASINO!!! Good thing she's affectionate and a nurse or she would be sitting on the curb!!