Pearl materials used in knife making

Click on pictures, bullets, listed suppliers

REAL MOTHER OF PEARL

Designation of bullets

J. Culpepper & Co. Inc.

XYLO-Australis®;

Masecraft Supply Co.

Universal Agencies, Inc.

Beijing J & N Pearl Shell Products Co., Ltd.

POE Import

K & G Finishing Supplies

Jantz Supply

Texas Knifemaker's Supply

Elen Hunting & Importing Inc.

List of All Species of Pearlescent Shell

Pacific

Goldlip, Blacklip, Australian, Green Snail, Trochus, Banana Opal, Red Abalone, Green Abalone, Black Abalone, Paua Abalone.

American Fresh Water Mussel

Pink Bluffer, Violet, White, Tennessee, Mississippi, Washboard.

International Fresh Water Mussel

Iketcho, Thai Rainbow, Thai Pink.

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Owl

WHITE MOTHER OF PEARL
Very rare in sizes large enough to use for knife scales. It is said that only in about 10 tones of pearl shell can one find material large enough to cut scales of 1/10" thick by 4-1/2" long.
Some of the best M.O.P. supply comes from Australia.

WHITE MOTHER OF PEARL
White mother of Pearl (Pinctada maxima) This is the silver lip pearl shell that produces the best pearls in the South Seas of tropical Australia. Best selected shell available is offered. This is a long time favorite with knife makers for good reason.
Whole shells are available if you want to save some money or do cutting yourself. The shape of the whole shells is sort of oval, thickness & curvature is variable and may be irregular. Lip edges are thin and sharp. Priced per shell & by weight. Available grade and sizes in the table.
Prices for cut and polished scales vary depending on the size and thickness. $60 - $300 per pair.
Some MOP shell is available in pre-cut rectangles, some may be wider, some longer. Material currently available is not usually polished on either side.

*Sizes* 3/32" x 7/8" x 2-1/2" 1/8" x 7/8" x 2-1/2" 1/8" x 7/8" x 2-3/8" 1/8" x 7/8" x 2-3/4" 1/8" x 1" x 2-5/8" 1/10" x 1" x 2-3/4" 1/8" x 1" x 3" 1/8" x 1" x 3-1/4" 1/8" x 1" x 3-1/2" 1/8-5/16" x 1-1/8" x 3-5/16" 1/8" x 1-1/8" x 3-5/16" 1/8-5/16" x 4" x 4-1/8" 1/8" x 1-1/8" x 4-1/4" 3/16" x 1" x 2" 3/16" x 1-1/8" x 2-3/4" 3/16" x 1-3/16" x 3" 3/16" x 1-3/16" x 3-3/4" 3/16" x 1-3/16" x 4" 3/16" x 1-1/8" x 4-1/4" 3/16" x 1-3/16" x 4-1/4" 3/16" x 1-9/64" x 4-1/2" Thickness to length: 2-1/2" to 3" are all 0.100" to 1/8" thick 4" to 4-1/8" are 1/8" to 5/32" thick Thickness of all finished scales: 0.1"-- 3/16" Ask the supplier.	*No thickness given* 7/8" x 2-3/4" 1" wide x 3" long 1-3/4" x 3-1/2" 1-1/18" x 3-3/4" 1-1/4" x 4" 1-1/2" x 4" 1-1/4" x 4-1/2" 7/8" x 2-1/2" 1" x 2-5/8" 1-1/8" x 3-1/4" 1-1/8" x 4-1/8" Polished Scales 2-1/2" x 7/8" 2-5/8" x 1" 2-3/4" x 7/8" 3" x 1" 3-1/8" x 1-1/8" 3-1/2" x 1" 3-1/2" x 1-1/4" 3-1/2" x 1-3/8" 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" 4" x 1" 4-1/8" x 1-1/8" 4-1/4" x 1-1/4" 4-1/2" x 1-1/4" 15/16" x 2-7/8" x 3/32"	*Whole shells* Grade - A and B only Oval shapes from 6" to 8"

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Owl

GOLDLIP MOTHER OF PEARL
Goldlip M.O.P. is very similar in characteristics to white M.O.P. It is found in the south Pacific.
Prices for cut and polished scales vary depending on the size and thickness. $60 - $300 per pair.

2-1/2" x 3/4" x 1/16"

2-1/2" x 3/4" x 3/32"

3-1/8" x 1" x 3/32"

3-3/4" x 1-1/4" x 1/16"

2-1/2" x 1-1/4" x 1/8"

2-7/8" x 1-1/4" x 1/8"

3" X 1-1/4" x 1/8"

3" X 1- 3/8" X 1/8"

3-1/8" X 1-1/8" X 1/8"

3-1/8" X 1-1/4" X 1/8"

3-1/8" X 1-3/8" X 1/8"

3-1/4" X 1-3/8" X 1/8"

3-3/8" X 1-1/8" X 1/8"

3-1/2" X 1-1/8" X 1/8"

3-1/2" X 1-1/4" X 1/8"

3-1/2" X 1-1/2" X 1/8"

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Owl

BLACKLIP MOTHER OF PEARL
The Blacklip shell comes from French Polynesia and is hand selected to cut the darkest color possible.
The shell is increasingly difficult to obtain. Pictured are shells from Tahiti, excellent quality.
Prices for cut and polished scales vary depending on the size and thickness. $60 - $300 per pair.

Thickness: 0.08"--0.1" 1-4/5" x 3/4", 7/8", 1" 2" x 3/4", 7/8", 1" 2-1/5" x 3/4", 7/8", 1" 2-1/2" x 3/4", 7/8", 1" 2" x 3/4" x .075" 2-3/4" x 1" x 1/8" 2-7/8" x 1" x 3/32" 2 3/8" X 15/16" X 1/16" 2 3/4" X 1 1/8" X 1/16" 2 3/4" X 1 3/8" X 1/16" 2-7/8" x 1-1/4" x 1/8" 2 7/8" X 1" X 1/16" 2 7/8" X 1/4" X 1/16"	3" X 1" X 1/16" 3" x 1" x 3/32" 3" x 1" x 1/8" 3" X 1 1/8" X 1/16" & nbsp; 3" x 1-1/8" x 1/8" 3" X 1 1/4" X 1/16" 3 1/8" X 1 3/16" X 1/16" 3 1/4" X 1 3/16" X 1/16" 3 1/8" X 1 1/8" X 1/8" 3 1/2" X 1 3/16" X 1/8" 3-1/2" x 2" x 3/16" Whole raw shells 8-10cm, 10-12cm, 12-15cm, 15cm up Plate of 35mm x 35mm x 1mm

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Owl

PINK MOTHER OF PEARL
Natural Pink Mother of Pearl is priced per square inch and is 1/8" or thicker. This M.O.P. is usually available in sizes up to 3 x 1. Ask for specific size quotes, as the larger pieces are difficult to obtain. It may take several weeks to find a shell large enough to meet certain requests.

SIZE

1/8" x 1" x 3"

1/16" x 7/8" x 1-7/8"

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Owl

ABALONE
Red Abalone shells are becoming increasingly rare. The price per inch of the usable portion of the scale is base upon average thickness of .110".

Australian Abalone (whole shell - select grade) is a Multicolored shell for small items and sizes. Beautiful polish and cut to your own needs.

RED ABALONE	.110" x 1" x 3-1/4" 1/8" x 7/8" x 2-7/8"
GREEN ABALONE	.050" x 1" x 1-3/4" .050" x 1" x 2" .075" x 1" x1-1/2" .075" x 1" x 1-3/4" .075" x 3/4" x 2" 1/16" x 1" x 2"
AUSTRALIAN ABALONE	whole shell - 3" x 5"

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Owl

PAUA SHELL
Paua Shell has darker black bands among greens & other great colors as cut, ready to mount.

SIZE

1/2" x 3/4"

1/16" x 3/4" x 1-5/8"

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Owl

Working Mother of Pearl
Mother of pearl will not shrink or change shape after making a handle.
When grinding or shaping M.O.P. do not allow the piece to become excessively hot to touch, as this can cause a burned mark that is deep and hard to remove. Otherwise the M.O.P. can be ground and finished just like bone or Ivory. When drilling M.O.P. use mineral spirits to keep the drill cool, just a drop or two. When setting pins, use a drop of supper glue in the hole. This will keep the polishing compound out of the hole and prevent discoloration later from oil penetration. Remember that M.O.P. is translucent and only slightly harder than bone. It can be cut with a hack saw or jewelers saw. It is recommended that all grinding be done with good suction (vacuum), cause the stuff stinks pretty bad. Also Wear a respirator.

Engraving
It can be done on pearl much like on metal. The graver must be sharpened at the slightly sharper angle and held a little differently. Usually a few minutes of practice will give an engraver the "feel" for engraving pearl.

Carving
Carving Pearl is an art in its self. Because of the relative softness and great stability of pearl, it has been a medium for artistic expression for many centuries. There are a few artists carving pearl today. If a carved handle is needed - contact the CULPEPPER Co. for details. Turn around is about 3 month. The carved scales look the best.

Scrimshaw
Scrimshaw on Pearl comes out very well. Around the turn of the century, several cutlery pieces were commissioned with scrimshawed Pearl handles. They are considered museum pieces today.
There are very few Scrimshanders working in Pearl today because it is harder than Ivory.

Inlaying Pearl
The first step in inlaying Pearl or Abalone is to obtain a suitable piece of around .050-.060" thick. Draw the desired design on a piece of white paper. using white glue, glue the paper onto the pearl piece and let dry for 30 minutes.

Use a saw board with a hole just big enough for the blade, and jewelers saw with #8/0 blade for carefully cutting out the design. Use a downward pulling stroke, a very intricate design can be cut. Use an aquarium air pump to blow away any dust accumulation so the design lines can easily be seen. After the design is cut out, carefully inspect for rough or uneven edges and sand or file smooth.

To prepare the surface for inlay, finish sand the stock to be inlaid to a very close tolerance of the final size. Using a light color Tempera paint, cover the area to be inlaid, not too heavy. On simple designs the cut out piece can be held in place while tracing around it with a sharp scribe or a razor knife. On complicated designs the cut-out should be lightly glued in place. After tracing, remove with Exacto knife or soak in warm water. Large or complicated pieces can be done by cutting the design into sections or pieces and proceeding as above.

To route the design cavity, use a Dremel Tool with a router base and #111 engraving cutter. The cavity should be shallower than the thickness of the Pearl to be inlaid. After routing, test fit the Pearl. Sharp corners can be cut out with a razor knife.

If the piece fits, use a fine coating of Epoxy to glue the piece in place. After drying, use the dust from some scrap stock to mix with the epoxy to fill any void around the inlaid piece. Pleas note that a finely and carefully inlaid piece will require very little fill, if any.

After drying, wet sand the surface with 400 than with 100% wet or dry paper with Mineral spirits. Polish with any good polish - Aluminum Oxide is fine .....

As supplied by

J. Culpepper & Co. Inc.

K & G Finishing Supplies

Jantz Supply

Texas Knifemaker's Supply

XYLO-australis®

Beijing J & N Pearl Shell Products Co., Ltd.

POE Import

Elen Hunting & Importing Inc.

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Owl

IMITATION or POLYESTER PEARL

Looks like Mother-Of-Pearl. It is made of polyester resin mixed with pearly dust. Quite striking looks.
If very thin, it looses its three dimensional perception of depth and becomes translucent. I would say that it needs at least 3/18".
Works just like fiberglass and polishes like glass.

SCALES Black or White	3/18" and 3/8" thick x 1-1/2" x 5" 3/18", 1/4", and 3/8" thick x 1-1/2" x 5" 1/4" x 4-1/2" x 5" 7/18" x 4-1/2" x 5"
PIECES (BLOCKS)	3/18" and 3/8" x 5" x 12" 3/18" and 3/8" x 10" x 12"
ROUND STICKS (RODS)	1-1/4" in diameter x 4-1/2" or 22-1/2" full length. 1-1/2" in diameter x 4-1/2" or 22-1/2" full length. 1-1/4" in diameter x 4-1/2" or 22-1/2" full length. 1-1/2" x 11-1/2" - White Rod 1-1/2" x 11-1/2" - Black Rod
BULK SHEETS	3/18",1/4" & 3/8" priced per square foot.
GREEN SNAIL BLACK LIP	.180" x 4-1/4" x 4-1/4"
COLORS	White Black Blue Green Pink	Black/White Mix Blue Violet with Pink Cooper Cream Moss Green with Orange

Listed in the catalog of:

Masecraft Supply Co.

Sheffield's Knifemakers Supply

Texas Knifemaker's Supply

Color Samples from Masecraft Supply Company

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Owl

LAMINATED PEARL

Laminated Pearl Veneer Sheets - This revolutionary product was developed and co-patented by Larry Sifel and Chuck Erickson for use as inlays in musical instruments.
The sheets are bonded by a mix of three epoxies which are not affected by acetone or finishing solvents.
Masecraft Supply Company is also the only U.S. licensed manufacturer of “ABALAM”, the laminated shell product developed in 1998 and now commonly known as “pearl laminated veneer sheet” (U.S. Patent No. 5,776,581). This material has revolutionized the inlay business and been well accepted as a handle material for knives.

Advantages over regular shell blanks
Not limited by size or thickness
More concentrated and intense colors
Colors are all the way through, can't sand them away
No fracturing and no other flaws
Use of shell types not possible before
Longer cutter or saw life

TYPE OF SHELL PAUA PAUA HEART GREEN ABALONE RED ABALONE HEART AGOYA DONKEY SHELL	3/4" x 1" x 2" 3/4" x 1" x 2-1/2" 1/8" x 1" x 2-1/2" 3/4" x 1" x 3" 1/8" x 1" x 3" 1/8" x 1" x 3-1/2" 1/4" x 1-3/8" x 4"
OTHER THICKNESSES	.125" in all .250" in Red Abalone Heart and Paua .070" and .080" for inter frames
ABALONE & PAUA SHELL	.125 x 1 x 3 - Paua Green Standard .125 x 1 x 3 - Paua Green Select .125 x 1 x 3 - Paua Pink .125 x 1 x 4 - Paua Green Standard .125 x 1 x 4 - Paua Green Select .125 x 1 x 4 - Paua Pink .188 x 1 x 3 - Paua AB .188 x 1 x 4 - Paua AB .188 x 1-3/8 x 4-3/4 - Paua AB

Listed in the catalog of:

Masecraft Supply Co.

K & G Finishing Supplies

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Owl

UNIPEARL

No information in the catalog. It is the Polyester resin (fiberglass resin) variety with 'NEW' house name.
Have just purchased Gold Amber Unipearl from K&G Finishing Supplies, and tried to make a thin handle scale to replace original 1940 celluloid one.
Looking OK at 3/8", as all these look in the catalog, it lost all depth and become totally translucent at 1/16" finished size. No pattern, just clear amber piece of plastic.
Also when put to a sanding belt, it was sticky and soft, almost as not properly cured fiberglass resin - which it actually is made of.
Polishing with white compound also tended to melt it rather than polish it - also there were a lot of small impurities right through showing after polishing. No matter what color, this Unipearl fiberglass is pure garbage material, or at least this batch is.

BLACK	3/16" x 1-1/2" x 5" 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 5" 3/8" x 1-1/2" x 5" 1/2" x 1-1/2" x 5"
WHITE	3/16" x 1-1/2" x 5" 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 5" 3/8" x 1-1/2" x 5" 1/2" x 1-1/2" x 5"
BLACK / WHITE	1/4" x 1-1/2" x 5" - mix 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 5" - mix

NEW SIZES & COLORS! at Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies

SIZES FOR ALL COLORS BELOW

Scales -

K & G Finishing Supplies 3/8" X 1-1/2" X 5"
Rolls -

K & G Finishing Supplies 1-1/2" x 4-1/2"

ABALONE
ANTIQUE PEARL
BONE
BLACK CHERRY
BLACK PEARL
BRONZE
COPPER

COAL BLACK
CHERRY RED
GOLD AMBER
GUNMETAL BLUE
GREEN
IVORY
PINK PEARL

MIDNIGHT BLUE
WHITE PEARL
OPAL
RUSSET
PURPLE PASSION
WHITE GOLD BLACK
24K GOLD BLACK

Listed in the catalog of:

Jantz Supply

K & G Finishing Supplies

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Owl

RECONSTRUCTED MOTHER OF PEARL

Not your ordinary imitation of mother of pearl. This is genuine M.O.P., crushed and reconstructed, making it a beautiful material, which looks and feels natural. Sold in 2 pieces per set.

Size

3/18" x 1-1/4" x 3"

3/18" x 1-1/4" x 4"

1/4" x 1-1/2" x 5"

Listed in the catalog of:

Jantz Supply

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Owl

IMITATION TORTOISE SHELL

This is a very striking handle material.
It is made out of Celluloid nitrate, so it must be worked slowly.
The end result are well worth the extra effort.

Size

1/8" x 3" x 4"

Listed in the catalog of:

K & G Finishing Supplies

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Owl

TOR-TIS Faux TORTOISE SHELL

TOR-TIS is a dynamic new material designed as a substitute for real tortoise shell. For the first time ever, the look, the feel of genuine tortoise shell is in a strong, extremely durable space age polymer.
Each sheet of TOR-TIS is individually made, so variations in colors and patterns are to be expected.
TOR-TIS will not shrink, crack or peel up under even the most extreme conditions. It is chemically inert and impervious to all solvents. Its hi refractive index allows it to capture light and bounce it around, making it appear thicker than it actually is.

SLAB MATERIAL (pairs)	1/8" x 1" x 3" 1/8" x 1" x 3-1/2" 1/8" x 1-1/4" x 3-3/4" 1/8" x 1-1/4" x 4-1/4"
SHEET MATERIAL	1/8" x 4" x 12"

Listed in the catalog of:

Masecraft Supply Co.

Created and maintained by Tony Hnilica

REAL MOTHER OF PEARL

IMITATION or POLYESTER PEARL

SCALES

PIECES (BLOCKS)

ROUND STICKS (RODS)

BULK SHEETS

GREEN SNAIL BLACK LIP

LAMINATED PEARL

TYPE OF SHELL

OTHER THICKNESSES

ABALONE & PAUA SHELL

UNIPEARL

RECONSTRUCTED MOTHER OF PEARL

IMITATION TORTOISE SHELL

TOR-TIS Faux TORTOISE SHELL

SLAB MATERIAL

SHEET MATERIAL

GREEN SNAIL
BLACK LIP