getting ivory into the US

[FRANCES HELMS]

Hi Stephane,

Right you are.  Celluloid is easy to identify if you've ever seen it.  Bone has a grain, and you're right... it's a strighter grain without as much of the swirls and "fingerprints".  Ivory does indeed taste salty.  Are customs officials able to detect the difference, or do they veto anything that looks like it's not plastic or celluloid?  I've never tried to send one out of country.

Fran Helms,
Topeka, KS

>>> Stéphane Collin <collin.s@skynet.be> 2/1/2005 12:04:29 PM >>>
Hello Fran

My trick to see if it is ivory is to send it to US.  If it goes through the 
customs, then probably, it is celluloïd or anything but ivory.

Serious now : I think bone gets little dark spots when aging, and doesn't 
have those "fingerprints" that elephant ivory do have.  A good trick, but 
which needs a bit practicing, is to bite in it.  If you feel tooth to tooth 
contact, it is ivory.  In other cases, the contact will not be the same. 
Strange how teeth can be sensitive.

Stéphane Collin.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "FRANCES HELMS" <fhelms@topeka.k12.ks.us>
To: <dlbullock@att.net>; <pianotech@ptg.org>; <drjazzca@yahoo.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 6:27 PM
Subject: Re: getting ivory into the US


> Speaking of ivory keytops...I was told many years ago that many of what
> is regarded as "ivory" in keytops is actually bone.  My source, who was
> an antique dealer also told me that the only definitive way to tell the
> difference is to taste them.  According to him, ivory tastes salty.
> Comments??
> Fran Helms,
> Topeka,Ks
>
>>>> "D.L. Bullock" <dlbullock@att.net> 2/1/2005 12:43:01 AM >>>
> To transport an old piano with ivory keys to the US. you must remove
> and box
> up the white keys and UPS them to the US.  You can then send the piano
> with
> black keys only through customs.  It is so incredibly stupid to quibble
> over
> antique ivory when the purpose of the law is to stop new ivory.  This
> is the
> only way I know to be sure the piano will get to keep its original 100
> year
> old ivory.
>
>
>
> D.L. Bullock    St. Louis
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