Humane considerations aside, I like the aged-ivory look, when the ivory has yellowed, and the grain is more pronounced. Boxwood mounts are nearly as good, although the exact shade of yellow and “cracking” are impossible to replicate. I’ve heard of repairs/replacement ivory being stained with tea so that it looks old.
Has anyone ever successfully stained/tinted artificial ivory (i.e. plastic) and achieved the “aged” look? If so, what’s the trick?
I know, not what you’re looking for, and I am not even sure it could be called ‘successful’.
But here’s something I spotted at the weekend, it’s one man’s attempt at something:
Good God!!
That photo should be captioned “Alcohol and sharpies are a dangerous mix!”
Here’s a version on Scottish Smallpipes
Best wishes.
Steve
Another contribution that is not the answer you’re looking for, but palm nut (or palm nut ivory) can look shockingly like the real thing. A quick google search of “Palm nut ivory bagpipes” comes up with some relevant pictures.
On a more relevant note, I know that many people who make replica props from movies use a shot of espresso applied with a paint brush and then let it dry and wipe off to artificially age things to great effect.
If you’re considering staining some fake ivory mounts, just be aware that there are many different types of plastics and faux ivories out there that numerous makers are using, and tea-dyeing (or coffee dyeing) might work extremely successfully for one maker’s mounts and not very successful at all for another maker’s.
I’ve done a little interweb searching and the best suggestions to get white polymer to look like aged ivory is to use certain brands of light-brown leather dye. It seems that this is a technique much favored by gun owners to get the aged-ivory look on white polymer pistol grips.
Has anyone ever tried this with pipes (uilleann or GHB)?
Have had success with a cup of instant black coffee. Let it cool, add the plastic, wait for 30 minutes.
Leave for longer if necessary.
Plastic is the standard ‘ivory’ rods from GPS agencies.
Also, the green mounts above are painted green to avoid international travel hassle.
Also, the green mounts above are painted green to avoid international travel hassle
I suspected as much. Or at least I thought that way it would make sense.
My own guess is that it was some kind of 1916 Rising commemorative.
There’s also a noble motivation behind the green and gold mounts: to protest against using animal bone for aesthetic appeal.
IIRC, there’s an interview floating around on the 'net in which Paddy’s abhorrence for the killing of animals for their teeth to go onto bagpipes was made clear…
Might seem kind of contradictory, if the Williams body was custom built for him using the stuff - so guess is there is yet another anecdote there.
One notes that he didn’t paint the hop-leaf-carving-regulator-tuning-pin-buttons - presumably because to remove it later would be a complete PITA
M
…forgot to mention, in response to the OP question of:
“Has anyone ever successfully stained/tinted artificial ivory (i.e. plastic) and achieved the “aged” look? If so, what’s the trick?”
Yes, but, accidental really.
Was removing an artificial mount from a chanter and needed to heat it to soften the glue.
Mount was expendable, so ran a cigarette lighter flame around it for a few seconds. Result: kind of dark yellowing not
unlike old ivory, and change was uneven due to the uneven heat application, heightening the effect. Actually looked more convincing
than some new-ivory-soaked-in-tea that I’ve done before.
Would I recommend it? Probably not, for a lot of reasons…
At the end of the day, non-Schreger-lined-scorched-plastic is just…well…burned plastic.
M
I always liked Schreger lines, and the way the color mellows over time.
The effect can indeed be very beautiful.
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Notice how the maker has not over decorated this piece with fancy turnings but allowed the beautifull material to speak for itself. 
Elephant or mammoth?
Very Antique Elephant tusk that had been carved in the form of a crocodile!
I posted earlier ‘we call it crocodile ivory’ but took that down again but here you go:
Do NOT paint it green!!