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This cigar holder/divot tool is made from the tusk of a Wooly Mammoth (Mammuthus Primigenius) found in the Alaskan Tundra. Since Wooly Mammoths became extinct over 10,000 years ago, this material is at least that old, but given the region it was discovered, it is thought to be closer to 20,000-28,000 years old.
Running throughout this piece you can see the cross-hatched pattern of lines known as Schreger Lines, named after Bernard Schreger who first wrote about them in 1800. These lines are formed as successive cone-shaped layers of ivory are added as the tusk grows in length. Schreger Lines are produced only in Elephant and Mammoth Ivory and are one of the ways to distinguish real ivory from fake. In addition, Elephant and Mammoth ivories can be distinguished from each other by measuring their outer angles. In Mammoth tusk ivory this outer angle is always obtuse (greater than 90 degrees) while in Elephant ivory this angle is always acute (less than 90 degrees). This seemingly miniscule fact takes on a much larger significance in the world of international trade, however, because the international sale of Elephant Tusk Ivory has been banned by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) since 1973. The CITES rules prohibit not only the sale of Elephant Ivory, but even its travel across international borders. Mammoth Tusk Ivory, on the other had, has no such restrictions and is free to cross any international borders, a good important thing to know should yo happen to be detained by customs agents during travel.
Mammoth Tusk Ivory is a wonderful material with properties like any ivory, which allow it to take a glass-like polish. At 2-1/2" long and just over 1/2" wide this divot tool is slightly smaller and more slender than most of my tools.
