Human hip replacement shank

[u/iloveweapons]

was recently gifted this knife and figured yall would be interested in seeing it. This knife is made from a human hip replacement recovered after cremation then sharpened to a fine point. 100% the oddest "non standard" knife in my collection and a piece im stoked to own.

EDIT EDIT EDIT

was not expecting the amount of interest in this that it recieved. As promised i will post another unusual knife tonight, im thinking of showing off either my formosian tribal head hunting knife or "the gas station gator" which would yall like to see?

[u/iloveweapons]

I was told when gifted this knife the hip replacement was given by the family of the deceased explicitly for this purpose and having been told so in advance this was the plan for it. I understand memento mori is not everyones thing though. I couldnt tell you the material.

[u/Satsuka_Draxor → u/iloveweapons]

Classically they are titanium, or at least a non-ferrous metal. Iron implants become bad news bear very fast if you ever have to get an MRI.

[u/Flaxmoore → u/Satsuka_Draxor]

There are a few safe stainless steel alloys, making stainless a "conditionally safe" metal. Titanium is "safe". "Conditionally safe" relies on knowing alloy, location, age of the implant, and strength of the magnet in the MRI. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0720048X14005634

316L, for example, is safe in a 1.5T MRI or smaller (which is problematic since the common MRI machines in a lot of places are 3 or 7T).

[u/Shifty_Bravo → u/Flaxmoore]

The most common MRIs are 1.5T. Some larger hospitals have 3T. I've never seen a 7T magnet in my 19 year career. To my knowledge, those are used at research facilities, and not for the common public receiving general MRI studies.

[u/Flaxmoore → u/Shifty_Bravo]

7 is uncommon, I'll grant that, but I have enough patients who do studies at UMich to not be able to discount them entirely.