Featured Catalin(?) & Horn Chopsticks; A Couple of Questions

There are 14 of 'em. They're about 9 3/8" (23.8 cm) long by ~1/4" (~6.5 mm) square. I think the yellow tips are Catalin, but haven't tested them yet. Under UV, that color becomes a creamy white, an' shows a characteristic subtle marbling, like Catalin. The black part is horn, for sure. The last pic shows the tip color in direct sunlight.

First, has anyone ever seen chopsticks like these? I have a small collection of old an' fine Asian chopsticks, but I do search for others now & then. These turned up, as usual, while I was looking for something else in my hoard. I don't recall where or when they accrued to me, but the box they were in was packed in the early 1990's.

Then, y'all will note some warping in all but 3 pair of them...an' those show slight warping as well, but not so much as to interfere with comfortable use.

I don't know what method was used to attach the tips to the 'sticks...an' what I've recently found, while researching how to straighten them reliably (permanently), is that horn can be 'formed' by heating to 300F an' then clamping to the desired shape before allowing the part to cool completely.

I suppose I can stomach sacrificing a pair of them to determine whether the tips will tolerate that heat & stay attached. But if any of you can offer any alternative to that approach, I'll be very glad to hear it.

As always, thanks for lookin'!

 

I'd leave them be

Are you sure there's a definite join there between the yellow and black

Does look like bakelite/catalin

But the black looks more like it's coated

That would make more sense

 

Horn would react to uv light

 

Or more to the point. how do those ends react to baking soda? Ye old q-tip soaked in water and squeezed, and then dunked in baking soda. Rub hard on those ends, preferably close to your nose. If they're catalin they should stink of formaldehyde and the q-tip should turn brown or yellow-brown.