Scrimshaw on 1911 Stocks

Jason_G · #1 05-29-2012, 08:35 PM

Hey guys,

Mike (davismh76) wanted me to start a thread showing some of the work I did on a couple of sets 1911 stocks for him.

So for those that don't know what scrimshaw is, it's basically an art form that has been around a very long time, that involves scratching or etching some medium (usually horn, bone, teeth, or ivory), and then rubbing some sort of color into the scratches to make the design show up. It became very popular with sailors, whalers, and fishermen in the 1800s.

Sailors would take a sharp object like a nail, a sewing needle used on the canvas, a tip of a knife, an awl, or whatever was handy, and scratch designs into whale teeth, walrus ivory, or bone, and then rub a soot and oil mixture into the etching.

Because it started out as a nautical art form, the traditional scrimshaw subject matter would be what a man on a whaling boat would think about most often: nautical scenes, and naked women

.

I use a scribe, and instead of soot, I use India ink or oil paints to highlight the work.

At any rate, this is sort of a pictorial of some work in progress. The designs on these are a 1st SFOD-D emblem, and the Army Aviation emblem.

After working with Mike and getting his design together, I used the scribe to begin etching the design into the stocks. This set is water buffalo horn, so I use lighter colors on these. This is sometimes called reverse scrimshaw. When looking at these, keep in mind that my camera sucks, and the black set is extremely glossy, which means they are pretty much impossible for me to photograph well. They actually look much better in person.

Laying out the design with a light hand:

After getting the design to where I was satisfied with it, I began getting a little heavier-handed with the scribe, to make sure the work really "pops" against the black background. After working with the scribe a bit, I rub the white oil paint into the etching to see what it looks like, and what areas I need to work some more with the scribe. It's sort of a back and forth process with the scribe and the paint, until you get things where you want them. Here's a look at that stage in development:

These particular stocks were to have color on them in certain places, so I began to add color where the highlights were wanted. On these, the Delta lightning device and the wings from the Army Aviation device were highlighted with yellow and gold. Color has to be added in layers, over and over again, to build it up. Otherwise, it doesn't show.

The finished set:

The other set that I did for him were bone, so they would be a traditional black on white scrimshaw.

Again, starting with a light hand, and getting the designs laid out:

And then getting more aggressive with the scribe:

And the finished set:

Hope you guys enjoy the pics!

Jason