Micro-Scrimshaw in Port Orford, Curry County, United States | Artist | Crafts | Arts and Crafts | Scrimshaw

Bob Hergert, Port Orford, United States

A Scrimshander is, of course, someone who makes Scrimshaw. I would define it as "someone who is crazy enough to spend hundreds of hours making millions of incisions in ivory thousands of years old". I'm happy to be that crazy. I started doing Scrimshaw back in 1978. My first pieces were jewelry. Soon after I started scratching ivory, I was introduced to Gary Kelley, a founder of the Miniature Knifemakers Society. He was a great inspiration, and a fount of knowledge. Through him I was introduced to some of the country's best custom knifemakers. Since those early days I've been able to work with many of these knifemakers, embellishing knife handles. Currently, about half my work is done on knife handles. The rest is done as framed display pieces, jewelry, boxes, lighters, letter openers, guitars, etc.