# Elephant ivory jr emperor



## altaciii (Jan 19, 2010)

This pen was commissioned by a local hunter and pen collector.  He had already purchased my Jr emperor huanghauali pen and asked if I could locate some preban elephant ivory.  Well... I did and he said get it.  Ivory $165, hardware $64, special box $35, time and care priceless.
I had invested a lot in the pen and didn't want any flaws or else it would be difficult to recoup my losses.  Took 3 days to drill and shape and polish.  In the end, a quite happy customer.  Still having problems with the camera. (or is it me?)  I like the contrast of the white ivory and gold on the black backround but the camera seems to have a mind of its own and has a sort of yellowish hue to it.


----------



## Whaler (Jan 19, 2010)

That is beautiful, you did a magnificent job.


----------



## broitblat (Jan 19, 2010)

That's sure to be a treasured keepsake.

  -Barry


----------



## Bree (Jan 19, 2010)

Dayum!  How often do you see something like that!!  Just incredible!  Terrific job!
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


----------



## ed4copies (Jan 19, 2010)

FANTASTIC job, Alex!!!

Dead-on at every junction, worth a pretty quarter (inflation since the "pretty penny" days)!!


----------



## surveyzo (Jan 19, 2010)

Looks great Alex. The 3rd photo is awsome.

Alonzo


----------



## GoodTurns (Jan 19, 2010)

nicely done...wonderful material and execution.


----------



## fernhills (Jan 19, 2010)

Very nice. Perfect.      Carl


----------



## jttheclockman (Jan 19, 2010)

Now that is one of the nicest pens I have seen here.  Very well done. Can you tell us a little about turning it and what tools you used, what finish you used and how was it applied, what and how you drilled it and what you used to cool the bit, ????  Did you encounter any major difficulties outside of nerves???   Thanks for showing us such a great  material and pen.  One other question, do you know if this will change colors with age???


----------



## sgimbel (Jan 19, 2010)

How much ivory do you get for $165?  Can I ask what you got for it?  It should have been a bunch.  I agree it's one of the best I have ever seen!


----------



## altaciii (Jan 19, 2010)

I have to admit it was highway robbery. 3/4x3/4x5" and the guy was rude. They sell pre ban ivory cut to size. The waste batches are quite a bit less. They sell smaller sizes for less but I had to have the length and wanted a size large enough to drill the 12.5 hole.





sgimbel said:


> How much ivory do you get for $165? Can I ask what you got for it? It should have been a bunch. I agree it's one of the best I have ever seen!


----------



## OKLAHOMAN (Jan 19, 2010)

Absoluty spot on, your customer must be very pleased and what ever you sold it for it was well worth it.


----------



## Nate Davey (Jan 19, 2010)

Beautifully done, can i have your cut-offs????:biggrin:


----------



## Noah (Jan 19, 2010)

Absolutely beautiful work...top of the line pen from a craftsman...
Got to be proud of that one...
Ed


----------



## Rum Pig (Jan 19, 2010)

Very nice
It must be good to have someone willing to pay top dollar for your pens well done


----------



## Chief Hill (Jan 19, 2010)

Wow! Great job on that.


----------



## jeffnreno (Jan 19, 2010)

Thanks for sharing such a unique and terrific pen!


----------



## toolcrazy (Jan 19, 2010)

The reason for the yellow on the black background is your white balance is off. Most auto white balances can't compensate for the stark contrast.

Beautiful pen. Nice work.


----------



## greenmtnguy (Jan 19, 2010)

It's going to be hard to top that! Great job.


----------



## PR_Princess (Jan 20, 2010)

Beautiful Alex!! Destined to be a heirloom!


----------



## jtdesigns (Jan 20, 2010)

+1 on the white balance.  If using flash in a photo tent just set your white balance to FLASH.   Beautiful pen by the way.


----------



## PenPal (Jan 20, 2010)

*Alex*

Distinctly good turning with an appropriate choice of kit.

Your photography worries remind me of my other life in the 1950,s photographing weddings in Black and White before colour. The Bride sure wanted detail white and with the Grooms inevitable black suit I still have nervous memories of printing those pics.

Try google re Ivory turning there are still some old turners about one whose name escapes me goes into some detail re Ivory turning from memory it was mostly scraping like using a Skew on the flat. All after the event I know but quite satisfying the way you beat the beast of Ivory into submission. Lovely Pen.

Peter.


----------



## rjwolfe3 (Jan 20, 2010)

Gorgeous!


----------



## Jim15 (Jan 20, 2010)

That is a beautiful pen.


----------



## el_d (Jan 20, 2010)

Very Nice Job Alex!!!!!


----------



## johncrane (Jan 20, 2010)

Excellent pen and work Alex!


----------



## Mrs Rojo22 (Jan 20, 2010)

Stunning!

Robin


----------



## witz1976 (Jan 20, 2010)

Absolutely stunning!!


----------



## greggas (Jan 20, 2010)

Alex, Beautiful pen.  I have a client who has ordered three made from ivory ( painful whne i got the bills for those banks)  I have been hesitating on starting them since they cost s damn much...little room for error..how did you find the workability of the ivory...any advise other than sharp tools and patience??

thanks and again...great job

Greg


----------



## altaciii (Jan 20, 2010)

Iwas most worried about the drilling.  I didn't know if there was a certain speed I should drill at.  I drilled the 10.5 first going about a 1/4" at a time, letting the ivory and the drill cool down for about 10-15 mins.  The 12.5 is brand new so I wasn't to worried about it other than getting it dead center.  I stopped several times to hone the skew during the turning and tbc.  Man did it shine after polishing.  Am delivering it today.  





greggas said:


> Alex, Beautiful pen. I have a client who has ordered three made from ivory ( painful whne i got the bills for those banks) I have been hesitating on starting them since they cost s damn much...little room for error..how did you find the workability of the ivory...any advise other than sharp tools and patience??
> 
> thanks and again...great job
> 
> Greg


----------



## jbostian (Jan 20, 2010)

That is an amazing pen!

Jamie


----------



## Rick_G (Jan 20, 2010)

A great looking pen.  At those prices for the ivory I can see why you took your time drilling it.  Nice job the customer will be pleased.


----------



## bitshird (Jan 20, 2010)

Alex, what a gorgeous writing instrument, that gores way beyond being a pen, right into a work of fine craftsmanship.


----------



## timcbs (Jan 20, 2010)

Very nice job, what did you use to coated the surface of the Ivory?


----------



## drayman (Jan 20, 2010)

alex, that sure is the best looking pen you have made. well done on a super job. it's worth a few shillings of antones money.


----------

