For knife scrims, we do not typically supply the knife. Howard can rehandle most knives, if it does not already have ivory on it. This can cost you anywhere from $100 to $200 depending on the size of the knife, and the cost of the ivory at the time of the rehandling. We typically have enough preban elephant ivory on hand, however if you want particularly large scales, you will have to prepay the cost of the ivory. We do not stock other types of ivory, and you will need to purchase that if you are preferring something like mammoth ivory scales.

    If you are wanting gun grips scrimmed, you need to supply the grips. Making gun grips is beyond our capability since most require special tools that are not cost effective for Howard to own.

    Display pieces can be done on your ivory, or ours if we have something in that size.

    Howard works from good quality digital photos. He uses the typical transfer method that most scrimshanders use. The photo is sized accordingly to fit the piece he is going to be working on, and fastened to the piece. He then gets an outline of the picture to be scrimmed, and then removes the transfer. From this point on he uses a print out of the photo, beside his work area, and everything else is done by going back and forth between the photo he is looking at, and the piece he is working on. This is a time saving method, and cuts the amount of time it takes to get a good outline in half. He does not do preliminary sketches. This is the time saver.

    The price for the scrimshaw is then based on the amount of time, the area to be covered, etc., that we estimate it to take. The estimate can vary greatly, depending on the amount of detail, in the piece you are having scrimmed. For example, a simple nude, no background, would be at the lower end of the scale, and a woman wearing clothes, with a large amount of heavily detailed background would be at the higher end of the scale.

    If you know what you want scrimmed, and have a high quality digital photo that will fit the piece, that will make it much easier to give you an estimate. However, we can help you find something if you have an idea of what you want. As for the photo fitting the piece, for example, a woman standing with her legs apart, and her hands on her hips, is not going to fit on a skinny knife!

    For poker chips, pendants, buttons, carved skulls, etc. we always have enough preban elephant ivory around for that, no need to supply your own, unless you want to.

    Howard generally has a fairly long waiting list, though I do build in time every few months for him to catch up, if he gets behind. Time estimates are just that. Estimates, and we will do all we can to to come as close to that estimate as possible. But do get on the waiting list as soon as possible.

Please contact us through the contact us link on this website.