Elk ivories are more than mere teeth; they embody history, tradition, and personal connection to your trophies. Ivories should be kept in your pocket with a handful of change, an old elk hunter told me. This is the best way to clean and polish them. Perhaps that worked for him, but there are more efficient ways how to clean elk ivories these days.
At Wapiti Box, we understand the importance of proper elk ivory cleaning. We put together a full guide on how to clean elk ivories, complete with step-by-step instructions and useful tips to make sure your ivories stay in perfect shape for years to come and look great in your Wapiti Box.
Elk ivories also known as elk whistlers or elk buglers are the two prominent canine teeth found in male and female elk. Ivories typically form when an elk is around 1 year old. Though small in size, measuring about an inch long, elk ivories are treasured by hunters as trophies from an elk harvest. But what exactly should you do with your elk ivories? Here are some great uses and display ideas for making the most of these unique souvenirs.
Cleaning Elk Ivories
Before deciding how to use or creatively display your elk ivories, the first step is cleaning them. Ivories left sitting in the elk skull or in storage can become stained with dirt tissue and dried blood. Here are some tips for cleaning elk ivories
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Simmer the ivories in plain water for 2-3 hours to loosen and soften any dried tissue or blood. Don’t boil just gently simmer.
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Use your fingernails or a soft brush to gently scrape off any loosened gunk on the ivories.
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Soak ivories in a hydrogen peroxide and baking soda solution for 2-12 hours depending on staining. This helps whiten and brighten the ivories.
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Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry once clean. The ivories should now have a nice, bright cream color and be ready for use.
Proper cleaning and whitening brings out the ivories’ beautiful natural sheen and color. Once cleaned, it’s time to decide what creative ways you can repurpose your elk hunting trophies.
Jewelry Uses For Elk Ivories
Due to their small size and sheen, elk ivories are extremely popular for turning into jewelry pieces. Here are some jewelry options:
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Ivory rings – Elk ivories can be carved into stunning rings. Use both ivories for a matching set or a single one for a statement piece.
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Necklaces – String one or both cleaned ivories onto a leather cord or chain to create a necklace. Add additional beads, charms or spacers for elegance.
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Earrings – An ivory paired with a gold or silver accent makes for a beautiful earring set. Use both ivories or mix one with another bead or charm.
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Pendants – Create a pendant by wire wrapping or bead framing an elk ivory and sliding it onto a chain. Add a bail or loop to hang.
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Cufflinks – Carve or wire wrap ivories into a pair of unique cufflinks to accessorize dress shirts with elk hunting memories.
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Tie tacks – Wire an ivory into a tie tack or pin to add rustic flavor to ties, scarves and lapels.
With some simple jewelry findings like wire, bead caps and chains, you can easily repurpose elk ivories into wearable keepsakes.
Home Decor Uses For Elk Ivories
In addition to jewelry, elk ivories can be incorporated into home decor and displays:
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Bookends – Adhere each ivory to a bookend base for a natural take on holding up books.
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Picture frames – Glue ivories to picture frame corners or sides for rustic accenting.
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Paperweights – Large ivories make great paperweights for holding down papers on a desk.
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Coasters – Attach ivories to the corners of square wood or stone coasters with epoxy.
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Shadow boxes – Arrange ivories inside a shadow box display with photos, antler sheds, or other memorabilia.
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Centerpieces – Place ivories in the middle of a bowl, tray, table, or shelf as a focal point.
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Bottle stoppers – Insert ivories into the tops of liquor bottles to make custom stoppers.
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Magnets – Glue a magnet back to an ivory and stick it on the fridge.
With a little DIY creativity, elk ivories can be incorporated into home decor for daily enjoyment.
Hunting Accessory Uses For Elk Ivories
For the hunting enthusiast, elk ivories can be fashioned into handy hunting gear accessories:
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Hat band – Line up ivories to adorn a hat band on a baseball cap, cowboy hat or hunting cap.
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Bolo tie – Integrate an ivory into a leather or cord bolo tie for a western vibe.
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Belt buckle – Wire wrap or carve the ivories into the centerpiece of a custom belt buckle.
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Knife handle – Inlay ivories into wood, bone or antler to embellish a custom hunting knife handle.
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Gun grips – With resin or inlay work, elk ivories can accent firearm grips or stocks for decoration.
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Keychain – Simple drilling allows ivories to be added to key rings and keychains.
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Truck hitch – Adhere ivories to trailer hitch covers for your vehicle.
For hunters who want daily reminders of their elk hunts, dressing up gear with ivories is a great option.
Creative Displays For Elk Ivories
If you want to prominently display your prized elk ivories, consider these display ideas:
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Tabletop display box – Arrange ivories inside a glass-top box with felt bottoms for an elegant accent table showpiece.
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Wall plaque – Adhere ivories to a wood plaque, add an engraved nameplate, and hang on the wall like a trophy mount.
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Antler display – Group elk ivories together with your collection of elk antlers for a natural display.
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Shelf collection – Align ivories on a shelf above other meaningful souvenirs like hunting photos, patches, and gear.
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Encased in resin – Preserve ivories forever by embedding them in clear resin to create drink coasters, paperweights, or block décor.
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Label and date – Attach a metal ID tag to each ivory with details like the elk name, year, and location harvested.
Finding a special place to display your elk ivories ensures you’ll enjoy reminiscing about your hunts for years to come.
Alternative Uses For Elk Ivories
Beyond jewelry and displays, elk ivories can also be repurposed into:
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Wind chimes – Hang ivories from chains or leather to create moving wind chimes that make natural sounds.
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Dog chews – Bake, boil, or bleach ivories to sanitize them for giving dogs ivories to chew on.
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Children’s crafts – If you have little ones, let them paint, bead, or otherwise decorate ivories for kids craft projects.
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Poker chips – Large ivories can be engraved and turned into custom ceramic poker chips.
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Knife handles – With some handiwork, elk ivories can replace or accent handles on pocket or hunting knives.
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Cribbage pegs – Smaller ivories can be made into scoring pegs for game boards like cribbage.
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Hood ornaments – Attach an ivory to the front of a vehicle with epoxy for a unique automotive accent.
Don’t limit yourself to the obvious jewelry uses for elk ivories. With inspiration from this list, you can discover unique ways to repurpose your elk hunting treasures.
Do both bull and cow elk have ivory teeth?
Both bull and cow elk have ivory teeth, but bull elk teeth are usually bigger and more sought after, which could make them more valuable.
How To Clean Elk Ivories: Tips for Effective Polishing
If youre looking to clean your elk ivories, there DIY solutions that can help restore their shine. Here are some effective methods to consider:
What Should You Do With Elk Ivories? – With Hammered In The Mountains
How to clean Elk ivories?
The first step in learning how to clean elk ivories is to remove the ivories from the skull. This can be done by using a small knife to carefully cut around the base of the tooth, taking care not to damage the ivory. Cut down vertically to the jawbone alongside each side of the tooth.
What to do with elk ivory?
Make them a pendant to wear around their neck. You could even make matching ones, one for you and one for them. They’re sure to hold a lot of sentimental value as your child grows older. But perhaps the best reason to hang onto elk ivory is to simply utilize as much of the animal as you can.
Are elk ivories?
But few people realize elk in North America are actually carrying around a remnant from their prehistoric ancestors, which you can find in their teeth. However, these “ivories” can be easy to miss if you don’t know where to look. Today, we’ll discuss what exactly they are, and why they’re worthwhile to hold onto.
Can Elk ivories be used as a memento?
Considering the lack of monetary value, many hunters try to turn the ivories from a harvested elk into a memento by which they can remember their hunt. Here is the tricky part. Many hunters down their elk in extremely remote areas of the North American wilderness. After all, the best elk hunting is often in the hardest-to-reach spots.