Category: Uncategorized

Mystery Artist 58 – GAM

Posted on by Andrew

This mystery artist has the initials GAM which are on each of a series of five scrimshaws on a sterling silver bracelet. The work was more than likely done in the late 70’s to early 80’s. This particular item was done in full color, which I’ve not seen very often, and was well taken care of – the colors are still vivid. Most times they were done with black ink only.

“Story bracelets” as they are known were quite popular, Al Doucette, a modern scrimshaw artist making quite a number of them during the 1970’s through into this century. The stories vary from the sorrowful goodbye and happy return to life on the shores and on the ship, “made for their beloved during their idle times at sea”, or so the story goes. Whaling was a rough life with little to show for it unless you were the captain or the owner of the vessel, and many scrimshaws of practical use were made to enhance the salaries of the sailors.

With the renewed interest of scrimshaw starting in the early nineteen sixties (President John F. Kennedy was an avid collector of scrimshaw), these bracelets became popular since they were easily worn and carried – much easier than lugging a whale’s tooth in one’s purse. I’m not sure if there are any that were made before that time.

And here we are in the twenty first century, mementos of distant and recent ages being passed down often with scant memories of their parents or grand parents stories of when they had gotten their treasured items, often dates and general locations are remembered, and little known of the artists whose practiced hands wrought the pictures and jewelry.

The “Mystery Artist” blogs as well as some other sites (such as Jim Steven’s site) hope to add the names and histories of the artists. Can you help? Any information about the artist “GAM” would be appreciated, and will add to the stories of the scrimshaws themselves that are treasured to this day. Please feel free to contact us through this site with any information you may have.

Scrimshaw Chat Book

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

If you’d like to see some of my other work, you can click on this link: https://chatbooks.com/app/share/volume/1ed6d761204d4a7f9bed4f0c06f18943?id=15665872&key=EP7jgn03dtqQC33AtUBQFEmTaWbtYL7KV0WoqGdZ

It’s a chatbook that shows about three years of my scrimshawing. I’m testing out Chatbooks as a means to cataloging the boxes (and boxes, and boxes!) of photos we’ve accumulated from those who have passed on. Digital books are handy and easy to share, but printed books are a great way to share with family and friends. If you’d like to create your own chatbook, click here: http://invite.chatbooks.com/andrewperkins5c3. This will get you a $10 discount and give me a $10 credit toward creating my family albums and future scrimshaw chat books. Their web advertisements are very entertaining, too – if you need a laugh, go to https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chatbooks+commercial.

Rod Lacey – A Personal Scrimshaw

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

Rod and I had been emailing back and forth as I went through the COVID-19 job change, my “mini-retirement” and me subsequently rejoining the workforce, then updating my job description to “remote worker”. I was working on a special project for another client, more of a passion project and enjoyed the connection with them when he emailed and gently reminded me of his offer. I suddenly realized that it would be nice to allow someone the same feeling of satisfaction of creating something for someone else.

Before the passing of our rascally dog Hoagie – a lab and blue tick hound mix that was hard-wired to escape, we rescued another dog: a formidable lab and Rotweiler mix. Despite the new dog’s size, Hoagie’s grumpy old man growl spoke volumes to Toby, who didn’t have to get told twice who the alpha-dog was.

I’d sent several pics of family members to Rod during the year, but none of them quite worked for him or his style. The picture of Toby hit the nail on the head, and Rod was off and scrimming. Below is the sequence he’d sent me, though he let the final reveal be when I opened the box:

This is my next project, a cute doggie. I will scrim this picture onto a piece of Mammoth ivory.
It weighs 26.5 grams and measures 6cm wide x 8cm high.
It is a Beautiful clean piece of ivory.
Stage 1 – 19/2/21
This picture shows the Ivory polished and ready to scrim.
Stage 2- 19/2/21
This pic shows the doggie picture attached to the ivory ready to have the outline cut out.
Stage 3- 20/2/21
This picture shows the cute doggie outline cut and inked.
Half-way around the world and sitting between my displays – a wonderful gift from a talented artist!

After not too long, a package arrived at our post office (we still don’t have a mailbox, just a PO box in the next town over. Since our closest neighbors are the bears and the foxes we really haven’t needed one, though it would have been nice to just shovel my way to the end of the driveway and pick this up!). Rod also carved the custom stand which is a piece of art in itself.

As I write this, Toby lays on the floor nearby, patiently waiting for me to finish so he can take me for a walk.

Thanks Rod, for creating a beautiful scrimshaw of my 110+ lb lap dog (at least – he thinks he’s a lap dog…).

Another Amazing Wood Artist – Paul Baker

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

Paul reached out to me with part of an interesting project he’s in the middle of: making cameras. These are late 18th century cameras, replica Victorian cameras as if from aproximately 1893. After sending me some pictures of his work and his want of some intricate scrimshaw, we conversed via email and worked out what he was envisioning. Thankfully, the graphic artist knew the fonts she had used for the cards he had printed – also using similar techniques for that period, and I was able to reproduce them on a piece of galalith. Being in California, any type of ivory is out of the question, but galalith was also from that period and being used for everything from an ivory alternative for hairbrushes and other sundry items to musical instruments, steering wheels and decorations for some of the first Ford cars. He was gracious enough to allow me some freedom on the design, the result is in the pictures below. This is part of a larger art installation he is working on, which I will elaborate on if he allows. It’s a fascinating idea that he is pouring his creative talents into with wonderful results. I’d have to say he is an excellent craftsman as well, and I look forward to seeing his final results. (continued…)

Nameplate and base of a camera under a belljar. Woodwork by Paul Baker, Scrimshaw by Andrew Perkins
Base of a camera under glass – a specimin from the life of Beauchamp A. Pettibone, Esq.
A camera similar to the one Paul Baker is creating (photo courtesy icollector.com)
A camera similar to one of several Paul Baker is recreating (photo courtesy icollector.com)
Paul Baker's version of Beauchamp's camera, materials used include ribbon mahogany veneer, shagreen (sting ray skin leather), vintage drafting equipment. (all period correct to 19th C, especially the shagreen; was used to cover telescopes on clipper ships).
Paul’s camera, including ribbon mahogany veneer, shagreen (stingray leather), and some clever use of drafting equipment for pinpoint focusing, all period correct to the 19th century) Shagreen was used to cover telescopes on clipper ships.
Closeup of the shagreen and the focusing mechanism that "Beauchamp created".
Closeup of the shagreen and Beauchamp’s focusing mechanism.

Intrigued? It’s a fascinating project and history lesson, story and adventure all in one! Find out more by visiting his site at http://www.c-clampstudios.com/

Scrimshaw Knives

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

Scrimshaw Pocket Knife

 A small knife is handy for opening letters and packages, though it’s not what you want to be carrying when flying. See https://traveltips.usatoday.com/knife-carrying-restrictions-aircraft-110179.html for a light article on this subject. They can be a cherished memento as well, passed down from parent to child, or as a gift for the wedding party participants.  A scrimshawed pocket knife is a gift that has thought and effort put into it.

 Knife handles come with their challenges, from rounded edges to the shape of the handle to fitting the subject so it doesn’t look like it’s been stuffed into the shape, as well as the pins or bolts that hold the ivory or bone to the blade.

 Cost is also a factor, with knife prices ranging from about $10.00 into the hundreds or more. A beginning scrimshander would want to keep the costs low, and unless you’re also looking to become a knife crafter, you’ll want something that has the scales already made and attached.  If you have the tools, you can create your own scales and attach them to blades that have them bolted on or epoxy them on.

 Making a “knife mask” in GIMP

  1. Take a picture of your knife
  2. Add black background with the paint bucket
  3. Remove the scale (make it transparent using the wand selector then clicking “delete)
  4. Add your design on a new layer, then lower that layer (Layer menu -> Stack -> Lower Layer)

From here, you can scale your subject layer to get a better idea if it works, or if it doesn’t.  If you make your “knife mask” the same size as your knife, you can print out the picture, cut out the scale and tape it onto your knife scale and use the “Whaleman’s Technique” (piercing the picture with your stippling tool to make stipples on the scale material underneath). In this picture, the skull is a full head on shot, but the left part of the skull is “masked”. The layer with the skull is just below the knife layer.

Care of the whole knife – masking off the area

Once you have your knife, you’ll want to use masking tape to cover any part of the knife you don’t want to get scratched, and in the case of fixed blade knives, you’ll want to protect the blade (and you) from the edge.  Using a folded piece of cardboard can help here, placing the edge into the fold, then securing the cardboard to the knife so it doesn’t slip out. Any metal should be covered with tape as well so it doesn’t get scuffed, dinged or marred while you’re working.

Holding the knife while scrimshawing

“Mortite” caulking worked into a shallow lump can work well if you use low power magnification, adhering it to your work surface. Adhering it to a small board or cardboard base will allow you to move it around easier.  Only remove the masking tape once you’ve finished inking and sealing the design with archival wax.

Inexpensive knives

Amazon has a number of knives I’m hoping to work on this summer, mostly small ones.  My favorite is the “sunfish” design, but they’re notoriously out of stock or are collectors items on eBay – a bit out of my hobby wallet at this point.

As a gift for yourself or someone interested in learning scrimshaw, here’s an inexpensive kit featuring a rough rider double bladed knife and all of the tools you’ll need. I’d recommend a sharpening stone to hone the point as well: a sharp point pn your scribe makes a big difference in stippling as well as incising lines. A 000 paintbrush (available in most art and department stores) is also helpful, especially if you’re going to add more colors. Available as a kit on Amazon. Read further, as you may wish to get a lockback knife instead…


Boker Gentleman’s Lockback Knife



The Boker is my second favorite knife, though more expensive. There’s ample room behind their insignia to scribe a ship, and a lighthouse would look nice here, too.
Sporting a lockback, this one is good if you’re prone to mishandling knives as I was in my youth. My trusty knife didn’t have a lockback, and I was real good at sharpening, as I found out when the blade folded over my fingers while I was trying to drill a hole in a piece of wood. Another lesson I learned was use the right tool for the right job. Fortunately I kept my fingers. Unfortunately that was the last time I saw that knife after my Mom bandaged me up.


Pocket Knife Camel Bone 6.5” Damascus Steel – https://amzn.to/2FZpcTQ

Make your own knife scale for these:

You can cut your own knife scale out of bone, paper micarta, ivory alternative (or mammoth ivory, if it’s legal in your state). Some of the kits have pieces you can trace and cut with a scroll saw or keyhole saw, or you can cut a paper that fits and transfer this onto the material.  For the holes, be sure to leave enough material for the head to hold it onto the knife itself – the bolts have a slightly wider head than their bodies, or laminate a contrasting wood, horn or durable plastic to the underside of your scale.  Here are a few examples:

Only 2-⅞” blade, bone scale would be about 1″:

Starim Mini –

Eafengrow EF17 Folding Pocket Knife –

Kit Knives

Rough Rider Custom Shop Small Lockback Knife Kit –

FLX25 Frame Lock Folding Knife – DIY Parts Kit –

There are fixed blade knives as well, they can be found with handles attached:

Wild Turkey Camel Bone –

Elk Ridge Fixed Blade Bone Handle –

Or as kits, where you just have the blade itself (and some come with the bolts, too):

Szco Swept Blade –

ColdLand Hand Forged Damascus –

Katsura Santoku Knife Kit

What ever style you decide to create, practice first, take it slow, and enjoy the process. Whether it’s a knife you carry or a knife you gift, it will be a treasure to the owner.