Yankee whalemen endured long, strenuous hours at sea. Consequently, they developed their own styles of meticulous folk art and entertainment.
Scrimshaw
Scrimshanting was a derivative of the term: scrimshander/scrimshanker, meaning, someone with nothing to do, or ...a worthless fellow.... In time the meaning was synonomous with the art sailors produced during idle time at sea, today, known as scrimshaw.
Bone, sperm whale teeth, or walrus tusks provided the bases for the etchings. These objects were sanded or ground down to a smooth finish with whatever tools were on board. To further smooth out the finish, the ivory was vigorously sanded with sharkskin.
After this process, the sailor etched his drawing with a sharp instrument, usually a sail's needle. Drawings from newspapers or magazines were secured around the object and tiny dots from pencils were made and connected (for those not adept at drawing). Finished etchings sometimes captured events at sea, such as, the sinking of ships, a whale hunt, or a figure of a man's sweetheart waiting for him at home.
Upon completion, the etchings, or lines, were filled in with red, black or blue India ink. Then the object was oiled/polished with wood ashes, and the oil from the palm of the craftman's hands.
A popular utensil that was often carved with scrimshaw was the pie crust crimper. The sailors must have longed for homemade, fresh-baked, pies.
A reference to this practice was made in the... Log of the Brig, 'By Chance' ,...May 20, 1826: All these 24 hours small breezes and thick foggy weather, made no sail. So ends this day. All hands employed scrimshanting.
Modern scrimshaw is made out of a variety of materials besides whales' teeth or bone, such as resin or antlers of animals. Before elephant ivory became protected, this animals's tusks were also a medium for the fine etchings.
As nor'east colonial whaling drew to a close, so this art form began to disappear. It was revived due to President John F. Kennedy's passion for collecting authentic scrimshaw.
Gamming
Whalemen knew well isolation. From two to five years a crew roamed the Pacific together seeking whales. The monotony of seeing the same faces for years on end was relieved when whaling vessels sailed into each other's view. They would hail each other and board each other's ships to exchange news, talk, share meals, engage in dancing, singing (sea chanteys) and trade equipment, if necessary.
It is believed the term gamming was derived from gam: meaning, a pod of ...playful undisturbed whales...
This was a most welcome event for the wives of captains who sometimes accompanied their husbands on the long, arduous, voyages.
Source
Frances Diane Robotti, Whaling and Old Salem, Fountainhead Publishers, Inc., 1962, New York 17 NY, pgs., 115-126.
