|
estebanana -> RE: Ivory Advisory Information- Post here (May 18 2014 23:08:41)
|
quote:
As a practical matter, I wonder if there is any definitive way to distinguish between ivory and bleached bone. Are they going to suspect the bleached-bone nuts and saddles we use of being ivory? And can people get away with saying that small ivory components are just bone?
This is the question everyone is worried about. Especially those with $10,000 -$20,000 and up old French bows. They have ivory tips as part of the way they were made. Can a guy working at airport customs really tell if it is elephant ivory, walrus ivory, fossil mammoth ivory?
The ivory trade includes fossil ivory which is possible to identify from modern elephant ivory, but you need training and a magnification visor and even then it can be hard to make an identification.
All the ivories have different grain patterns and levels of whiteness depending in the species an how old it is. They have different levels of hardness. I left my ivory collection in the US in the case of another guitar maker because I was afraid to ship it to Japan. Now I wish I had it here because I can use it and sell the guitar within Japan with no trouble like in the US.
Anyway, elephant ivory is very different in texture from walrus ivory for example, but you have to study carefully and look at all the different examples and compare them. Bow specialists can have trouble doing this on bow sized samples that they work with every day so it's not likely field agents will do any better.
Correct me if I misunderstood this, but the terms of how the ban will be enforced by Fish and Wildlife going to be published for public review for 90 days beginning in June 2014- At that point it's possible to rally and contact representatives with letters phone calls and emails.
I'm going to look into it further an post some information from other music organizations about making contact with congress reps to tell them there needs to be moderation steps taken for musicians and industry workers who repair and produce instruments.
The way the enforcement looks right now was not thought our carefully enough to prevent economic damage to the music business. Not to mention scaring the hell out of those who need to tour to make a living. Carbon fiber bows are a great invention but they are simply not Tourte's, Lamy's Pecatte's, Dodd's or better than good contemporary wood bows. And the trade in half the pre war Martin guitars existing will be basically a criminal offense, or a situation that makes the dealer or owner very nervous because it hinges on submitting the instrument to a process of obtaining CITES documentation to prove age and there needs to be trail of sales records.
|
|
|
|
