scrimshaw.com - An Ancient Art on Eco-Friendly Materials

Scrimshaw Tools – The Coulter Precision Scribe

Posted on March 26, 2012July 8, 2017 by Andrew

The Coulter Precision scribing tool was first brought to my attention by Bob Hergert during an interview a couple of years ago. Since then, I had hemmed and hawed, decided that my tools work just fine, and I can sharpen mine easily as opposed to a tungsten carbide precision point that would be next to impossible to sharpen with my rudimentary drills and stones. This internal dialog kept me away from an excellent tool for a couple of years, and if I ever find myself alone in a dark alley… Save to say, I missed out on a couple of years with an excellent tool. The precision point is not only excellent for stippling, but the lines you create have a nice deep “V” that holds the pigment well. I’ll try to do a comparison of the different tools I use, if I can get a good enough picture setting it on “Super Macro” – but my photography skills are mediocre at best. As a scrimshaw tool, this is one of the best you can buy.

20170708 – Update: Charles’ Etsy site is currently empty, but the eBay site is still active: http://stores.ebay.com/coulterprecision

~~You can find the Coulter precision tool on~~ ~~Etsy~~

Learning How to Scrimshaw – Ron Newton

Posted on March 26, 2012October 24, 2015 by Andrew

Ron Newton’s book started out as a series of handouts developed from procedures and exercises that he discovered while practicing and teaching scrimshaw. Not all students start with the same skills and talents and need different types of help. By practicing the exercises and following the procedures in this book you will find yourself producing some very beautiful works of scrimshaw. Ron has seen this happen repeatedly in class after class and has faith that the reader can do the same thing. The author hopes that in some small why this book will bring more interest to this art form. The whales may be endangered but lets not let their memory or scrimshaw die.

Available at Amazon.

Scrimshaw? But I Can’t Draw!

Posted on March 26, 2012May 2, 2012 by Andrew

Love scrimshaw? Can’t Draw? Many whale-men, the original scrimshaw artists couldn’t draw either. Using their ingenuity and the tools at hand, they were able to fashion memorable pieces of art and carvings that survive to this day. You can scrimshaw, even if you can’t draw! It only takes a little guidance, some basic tools and a touch of modern technology.Using ancient mammoth ivory, natural “vegetable ivory” or other materials, you can create beautiful works of art the way the sailors did, without needing to lean over the port bow! A great way to de-stress, scrimshaw will bring you into a world of art you may never have thought possible to achieve.
“Scrimshaw? But I Can’t Draw!!” has links and instructions to everything you need to learn how to scrimshaw:

sources for fossilized ivory
“vegetable” ivory
tools
pigments
how to prepare tools and materials
techniques for shading
polishes and preservatives, and more.

Great book for beginners and who can and cannot draw, “Scrimshaw? But I Can’t Draw!” will walk you through the simple steps that many of the top scrimshaw artists use today.

Available at Amazon

Kraken Blog – From Start to Ship-Shape

Posted on March 15, 2012June 3, 2012 by Andrew

Recreating a website has it’s merits, being able to remove outdated information (like the how-to), but it does take time. Here is a quick gallery of pics from the Kraken project: