Scrimshaw - the true American Artform

How did they do it? The whalers were rocking up and down on the ship, day in and day out, sometimes for up to two years! Storms, slack tides, swabbing the decks, cleaning the deck after a successful harpooning... they did have a lot of idle time, but what did they use to scrimshaw? Most of the sailors used a canvas needle (triangular shaped back in the day instead of round), lamp black (no hobby stores on the high seas), and pictures from the catalogs of the day. The Sailors - if they were not able to draw freehand, would fasten a picture onto the whale tooth, then patiently perforate the ivory through the picture, making an outline of the subject. Once this was done, they would spread lamp-black on the ivory, then wipe it off. The lamp black would stay in the perforations on the ivory, revealing the outline. (see NauticalNantucket look around the faces on the antique scrimshaw to see a good example).
You can either do this on the lightswitch or create your own!
In order to see what you're doing on the switchplate, I recommend coating the area you're going to scrim with 1/2 India ink and 1/2 water, using a cotton swab (Q-Tip), so there's a grey coating. Let the ink/water dry before you start to scribe. Use a needle and a pin vise
, with the needle sticking out about 1/2". As you scribe, the lines will show up white instead of black, but you'll get the idea of what you're doing without going crazy trying to see it.
You can follow the step-by-step instructions at scrimshaw.com and choose a pattern you'd like (click on a "How-To").

Ever come up with a blank slate when it comes to a design? Need some inspiration? How about looking to the past? the Scrimshander's Secret Scrapbook of Whaling Era Illustrations is jam packed full of whale, ship, whale vs ship, whale vs boat images and more! I finally decided to release it to the public after coveting it for some time and not using it to it's fullest extent.

Here's a plethora of ideas for a great price from a non-competing market! Tattoos are not for everyone. I'm squeamish about getting a tetanus shot, let alone repeatedly having needles... but I digress.
One of the nice things about e-books is that if it interests you, you can print it out. If it doesn't, you can "put it away" on your computer or burn it to a CD, since you might need it later. No wasted paper, no books unless you want to print them. Olivia Suzanna has a nice collection of modern tattoos that can be used for scrimshaw. Butterflies Crosses Stars and Moons - the Digital Collection" is a CD version of the book, including the "how to" I wrote for creating scrimshaw from the illustrations using GIMP - a freeware graphic editing software program.
For more illustration,s you can also check out Exclusive Tattoos for some great inspiration!

To preserve your scrimshaw (either your own or a piece you may have), many scrimshanders use Renaissance Wax. This is a specially formulated wax that is acid-free, water resistant, and polishes to a high luster. Found on Amazon.com for less than $20, a little goes a long way. It can also be used on wood, metal and other materials to resist fingerprints (wouldn't put it on a computer screen or iPad - I haven't tried it yet but if my daughters don't wash their hands before working with their netbooks one more time, I may have an update soon!).

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