I guess it doesn't pay to find the scan of the antique/recreation ivories because you'll say the reason is that the recreations were done by machine. Which, by the way, is what I originally said in earlier posts (a year ago?).

However, there is a difference between pulling a knifepoint through ivory and pushing a v shaped carving tool through ivory. Pulling a knife point will produe a scatchy line whereas pushing a carving tool will produce a smooth line. Whatever you call that is the difference between the antiques and the recreations.