DYEING IVORY.
I tried a great many plans and recipes for dyeing ivory before I hit upon any that were in all respects satisfactory. Most of them were nasty, involved the purchase of drugs and dyes that were sure to be adulterated, and the results were vexatious, but one day, in dyeing some silk with family dye color, prepared by Howe and Stevens, of Boston, Massachusetts, the idea occurred to me to try it on ivory. It succeeded to admiration, and I had found what I had so long sought, namely, a clean, cheap, simple and sure method of coloring ivory to any shade needed, in a short time. The color can always be had, ready for use, in any town, as much so as a bottle of ink, while the various shades and gradations of tint are ready made to hand; there is no need of stale urine, or any other mess,—simple immersion in the hot liquid from ten to twenty-four hours will give a permanent and brilliant hue to any article. I have never seen such brilliant colors as these dyes give. The solferino and the black are particularly handsome, and are insoluble in water; that is, the goods may be washed without injury. The solferino will not bear hard rubbing in water, but the black and other colors will, without injury. The depth to which the color penetrates depends upon the length of time the goods are immersed, but twenty-four hours, and even six hours in some cases, will answer all purposes. For chess-men, the solferino is a splendid color, while all the other tints can be had for other kinds of fancy work.
Ivory is particularly suitable for mosaic inlaying, as it never chips, and can be cut into the smallest and thinnest pieces without danger of fracture. It will hold on wood with glue, though there are other cements, stronger, for the purpose.
It can also be dyed before inlaying, and afterwards rubbed down to a uniform surface, but the work must be done well, as the dyes do not always penetrate equally, and if the work is delicate and the design small, it is apt to change the colors to rub them down. Napkin rings, breast pins, masonic mallets and emblems generally, miniature gothic chairs with carved backs for ornamental purposes, chess and checker men, small boxes for lip and eye salves, needle cases, thimble cases, ring and jewel boxes, penholders, silk-winders, card cases, all afford a fine opportunity for the skill and taste of the amateur.