Distinguishing Authentic Scrimshaw from Precision Fakeshaw & Tooth-Shaped Bone (Part 2 of 3)

ARTEK Creations, aka Artek Gifts, ArTeK, or Artek, is a division of New Hampshire-based Riley Mountain Products. Artek resin repros (two left) are much more realistic in appearance than Juratone, New Juratone, Groovesport, Historycraft, History Art USA, or NYE Overseas Trading Enterprise fakeshaw.

Artek molds were never sold overseas (Asian market) when replaced by new dies, as was common among other manufacturers. This is why so many low-detail copies can be found of other manufacturers, but not Artek.

To prevent erroneous or fraudulent representation of their repros as authentic, most Artek repros have an embossed (recessed) logo exterior on skirt (center above), or inside “root cavity” (right above). A more detailed article worth reading is entitled Scrimshaw - Real or Repro? by Bill Momsen. Another article by Rod Cardoza of West Sea Company is Scrimshaw: Is It Real? (Part II: Determining the Material)

Another type of “reproduction” is actually two machine-shaped sections of cow bone, clamshell-assembled, with a noticeable seam, skirt-to-skirt, across the tip. This seam is often camouflage by a star mosaic pattern & scribed rope handle. On the first example (below left & center), both sides depict an Oriental-eyed mermaid: one with arms spread & tear shaped drops falling into the water from her open hands; the second is a 3/4 view sitting profile. Sometimes a fake root cavity is inserted in base opening. These Chinese mass-produced items are machine-scribed with one of a dozen different scenes. The second example is “Ship Spermo Whaling - California 1821″ (below center-right). The interior of bone repro reveals boring grooves associated with machining (below right).

Various tests for plastic have been published, such as the “hot needle” test, the “match” test, and viewing fakeshaw under black light (ultraviolet light). However, THESE TESTS USUALLY DO NOT WORK! The tests were useful when they were first published (as early as 1979), but manufacturers of fakeshaw are devious, and they are not fools. They also read test results, and change their formulas so that hot needles will not penetrate the newer polymers any better than they will penetrate real bone, a match won’t necessarily burn re-formulated resin, and it may fluoresce under ultraviolet light to a degree that only a trained expert can distinguish the difference from organic matter.

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