Whale tooth

 Looking for some advice I have been given a sperm whale tooth, are there any laws on pocessing whale teeth?  Any valuers aound to price them? Just add no scrimshaw all natural.


Tom M

Pete F's picture

Posts: 118

Date Joined: 07/01/18

 They are a protected species

Wed, 2019-03-06 07:42

 They are a protected species so would be no different as to having White shark jaws. There was someone recently fined a pretty large amount for having a set of white shark jaws. 

Not sure where you would stand if you can prove they were from an era when whaling was legal. 



Rob H's picture

Posts: 5186

Date Joined: 18/01/12

 There is a method to get

Wed, 2019-03-06 08:13

 There is a method to get CITES approval.

They sell the teeth in Albany, I have a few






Everyone's just winging it.


ranmar850's picture

Posts: 2541

Date Joined: 12/08/12

Christ, Albany had better look out.

Wed, 2019-03-06 13:01

 Heaps of them around in private possession, scrimshawed or not, I don't you could realistically get done for private  possession. " your honor, this fisherman obviously caught and killed a protected sperm whale from his 18ft runabout. No, really, your honor, how else could he have come into possession? " 

Couldn't see it flying in a legal sense, somehow. selling would be a different matter--if you did it publically.

Doc's picture

Posts: 685

Date Joined: 29/05/16

I also have one I bought in

Thu, 2019-03-07 18:01

I also have one I bought in Albany a few years back. 

Faulkner Family's picture

Posts: 15835

Date Joined: 11/03/08

 they used to be found in

Thu, 2019-03-07 18:18

 they used to be found in abundance under the old jetty. most would be long gone now or buried deep in the mud. 


RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together