UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe Forum Ivory Grip Photos - for reference.

Here is a photo of an "artificial" ivory LW grip. Notice the "graining" to the right. Most, if not all, have a plaster core, with a thin plastic outer shell showing some "graining." They were made during the period and, just to look at, can sometimes be mistaken for the real thing.

Very interesting topic, as I have been offered a Heer dagger with an unknown grip.

It's an Alcoso dagger (Scale with ACS, and Alcoso Solingen next to it). Overall condition is good, with hanger and portepee, pommel not frozen. Only the grip shows numerous cracks. The cracks are all over the grip, and have no obvious pattern, they are bent, and go in all directions. Could this be an ivory grip? And what would be a reasonable price for such a dagger with a cracked ivory grip? (if it turnes out to be ivory...)

Sorry, don't have any photo's, I just bumped in this auction house without camera...

Alcoso are known to have used Galalith ( milkstone grips ) more than any other maker and can be mistaken for ivory. Do a forum search for Galalith and compare the results........from your description this sounds the more likely.

Jerek, go back a page and look at the last set of pics posted (but not the last one) if your grip looks like that it's Galaith.

Niblet, there is nothing wrong with your daggere and the grip is definitely ivory

Nolan

sorry forgot to post the pic

Thanks for taking a look at my dagger,the imitation ivory piece that grumpy posted looks amazingly real,,thanks for that reference pic

Jerek, I agree with Degens that the grip you describe is likely Galaith. They tend to dry out and you see lines going in every direction. Roy, I have seen photos of a similar dagger lately, perhaps the same one. I am also stumped as to whether it is ivory or not. The photos I have seen show no graining at all, just the cracks. It is unusual for grips, other than ivory ones, to crack in the manner shown. But, I wouldn't bet the farm on it being ivory.

I agree with DEGENS. IMO and IM experience ivory does not crack all over like that and I have seen several Galaith grips like that-never ivory.
Rubbing Galaith briskly with a soft cloth will produce a sour milk smell.

quote:

Galaith grips

Not to hyjack the post but what are these made out of??? Mark

I have also noticed with ivory you usually get signs of slightly different colouration in the grip as it ages. Also they have a "depth" to the appearance of them. This can be seen in all the ivory grips shown in this posting.

Roy, if I had to guess on the grip with the photo you have shown I would say in my opinion it is probably not ivory.

Ritterkreuz scroll down about half a page in this forum and you will find a thread on Galalith started by Landser which I BTTed when this thread got onto the subject
I used to live near the Erinoid factory at Dudbridge near Stroud in Gloucestershire

I would say the grip posted by Roy is indeed ivory but this is not a very good photo.

Thanks for the comments on my post, will try to get it for a reasonable price. I don't know if the guy who sells it actually knows what he has in hands, he called it a SS-dagger first...