Dave Warther's Resin-Ivory™ imitation ivory for bagpipes. Resin Ivory is the highest quality imitation ivory we have seen, worked or handled - ever. Arvorin and other alternative ivories are made as spun polyesters but Resin Ivory™ is a resin based material that has greater strength and beauty. The spun polyesters will chip and shatter easily with a resulting glassy area seen. Resin Ivory™ is much more like real ivory where it takes a good deal more effort to chip the material.
This material comes in two grades. Both are of the same high quality but with different grain features. Resin-Ivory™ R grade stock has a grain like ivory. As the material is turned in your hand you see grain variation from side grain to flat grain and then back to side grain again just like with real ivory. The end grain on Resin-Ivory™ R grade shows a swirl pattern whereas Resin-Ivory+S™ shows the end grain feature of real ivory with the Shreger lines - hence the "+S" designation. The Shreger lines form a herringbone or diamond patterning in real ivory and our Resin-Ivory+S™ has this same grain feature.
The R grade looks like real ivory to most people but folks who have extensive experience with real ivory will be able to tell it is not real ivory. With the +S grade - even highly experienced ivory enthusiasts will be hard pressed to discern whether it is real or not.
We recommend the Resin-Ivory™ R grade for most applications and especially in applications where the end grain is not visible. The +S grade looks so much like real ivory that few will be able to tell if it is real or not. It does fluoresce a vivid purple under a black light so customs will be able to discern it from real ivory once they check it. The +S material is ideal for gun grips and three dimensional projects where the end grain is visible.
This material turns like butter on a lathe and takes a high polish by buffing with white jewelers rouge on cloth or felt wheels/pads. One needs only sand with 400 grit wet/dry paper and then take it to a buffing wheel or hold felt to it as it spins in the lathe. It also accepts a clear coat finish without any resistance or any proclivity to peeling, etc..Glues to wood with white glue and to other materials with super glue or epoxy.
This material is also the best imitation ivory we have scrimshawed. There is no squishiness when scriming and there is no bleeding of the ink into unwanted areas as seen on other imitation ivories. It scrims like ivory! It also works like ivory with conventional saws and files.