How to Scrimshaw an Antique Horn

Scrimshaw became popular during the era of whaling.

Scrimshaw is the art of carving images onto ivory, although art carved in bones, horns and teeth is also considered scrimshaw. While the carving technique is simple, creating the proper image in the material will take time and practice. Whether you're a master or a novice, the same steps will be necessary.

Things You'll Need

• Horn
• Magnifying lens
• Carving tool, such as hand engraver
• Pencil
• Clean cloth
• Ink

Instructions

1. Polish the horn, bone or other material to a smooth, mirror shine. Rub out all small imperfections from the medium before you engrave it.

2. Draw an image of what you want to engrave with pencil. Place the sharpened pencil tip against the horn and draw in smooth strokes until you have created the image that you want to engrave into the horn. Use a reference picture, if not drawing from memory.

3. Engrave the image. You can use a knife or even a needle, but a handheld engraving tool makes the job easier. Carve out small lines or single dots, whichever method you prefer to use, until you have an outline of the image and all of the shadows carved. Use a magnifying lens to see the small carvings you're making.

4. Paint over the horn with artist's oil or with ink. Wipe down the scrimshaw with a clean cloth, leaving ink behind only in the small areas that you carved. Technically, at this point your scrimshaw is done, though you can make additional, small carvings for color and shadowing. Brush each color, going from darkest to lightest. Repeat the brushing and wiping procedure to add more color to your scrimshaw piece.

Tips & Warnings

• Ivory from African elephants cannot legally be imported into the U.S. However, tusks of extinct animals have no restrictions.

References

• Gustavus: What is Scrimshaw?
• Scrim Art: How to Scrimshaw
• Scrimshaw: Frequently Asked Questions About Scrimshaw and Ivory