Antler handle question

A

akraven

Joined
Mar 20, 2000
Messages
51
Has anybody ever seen a handle made from the palm of an moose/caribou antler rather than the beams? pic's/links? Thank you, akraven
 
AK, I've used the palm/pan for handles on a couple of my knives way back!
It always bugged me to see so much real nice antler go to waste so I cut it down close to the size I needed and then halved it on a bandsaw. Boom, you have matching scales for a knife!
One thing to watch with it though is you'll be exposing the softer inside, marrow I guess, and on some of the antler it's real soft and porous and it's best to send it out for stabilizing. On some you can get by with soaking it with super glue but I think you're much better off having it stabilized!
 
One thing to keep in mind with moose antler is it moves a bunch after it is used for a handle. A few years ago I was over at Wayne Goddard's shop. I noticed a piece of antler he had that I didn't recognize. He said it was a piece of moose antler. Anyway he had told me about a test he did with several different antlers from animals here in the US. He said the moose by far moved more than any of the others. He also said elk antler moved the least.
 
The use of unstabilized moose palm introduces very colorful language into yer everyday life.
 
Hmmmm. That could cause a problem. Has anybody tried to stabilze it at home or is just sending it out a better idea? The only place I am aware of that does stabilzing is WSSI but I don't see a mention of them doing anything but would. I will fire and email off to them and see if they do antler. Anybody have experience with anyplace else? Thank you for the help. akraven
 
all antler will shrink its best to use it long after the animal drops it or is killed B&C scoring requires it to be dryed for sixty days but that is really not fully dry and moose is alot bigger and softer and will take longer to dry and be more likely to move elk is a very dense horn as long as you stay away from the pit poreus area you can crush it with your hands on both. thats why most use sambar or axis because it has just one small vein hole
 
K & G (Kife and Gun) will stabilize anything you send to them. I even send them rocks!
 
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