Do custom knife makers get most of their oosik from Alaska or Siberia?

ArlingtonVA

Unless they're getting it illegally from Siberia, seems like it must be Alaska: Oosik is a term used in Alaska to describe the baculum of walruses, seals, sea lions, and polar bears. Sometimes as long as 60 cm (2 ft), fossilized bacula are often polished and used as a handle for knives and other tools. It is also frequently sold as a souvenir to tourists by Alaska Natives, the only people permitted to hunt the walrus today. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baculum#Oosik Further evidence that Alaskans take more animals than Siberians do: "Hunting: Walrus hunting is conducted from all of the Eskimo villages near which the animals occur. However, the bulk of the annual harvest is taken from the villages in and near Bering Strait, mainly Gambell, Savoonga, Nome/King Island, and Little Diomede Island. Hunting loss can be high. Several thousand animals are killed annually in Alaska. Some walruses are also taken by Siberian Eskimos and by Russian commercial hunting vessels." http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/marine/walrus.php Jul 03 09, 8:05 PM

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