The Scrimshaw Renaissance
During a televised speech in the 60's antique maritime scrimshaw carvings were on display on John F. Kennedy's desk. This triggered a tremendous boom in interest in such artifacts. People began to reconsider old engraving techniques and to further develop them.
Engraving is done today with modern tools such as the steel needle and graver. Lenses and microscopes allow more detail in the engravings. The material mainly used nowadays is fossil mammoth tusk, horn, and bone.