Larry Gotkin’s custom, handmade scrimshaw items offer museum-quality, artisan craftsmanship for the serious collector or reenactor.

Historically, American whalers first created scrimshaw. Sailors carved and engraved whale bone and teeth into tools, baskets, and knick-knacks, filling in the long hours and days between chores and whale sightings.

Modern scrimshanders often engrave carvings into fossil mammoth ivory, bone, horn, and various synthetic ivory materials such as Micarta and Ultra Ivory (a new and fairly expensive substitute).

Carvers cut or prick the surface of the ivory with a needle or hobby knife and then rub ink or paint into the cut to permanently color it. Carving in this manner is an extraordinarily long and painstaking process. The Indian woman, shown at right, required nearly 80 hours to complete.

(Don't see what you want? Find out how to commission a piece.)