Blood stains on stag??

troutfisher13111

troutfisher13111

Joined
Mar 30, 2006
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I used my new Grohman to field dress a whitetail and after a thorough scrubbing with some hot soap and water using a toothbrush I have some bright red staining. Is this normal? Something to worry about? Thanks 9A7A8981-ABAB-49AA-9948-28FAB78F0418.jpeg762718A6-2C69-4EE5-8D59-7FB18C3E329B.jpeg
 
Hmmm...
Thanks for sharing, as I have always wondered if this happens to bone & antler. Maybe try some rubbing with a magic eraser before trying any chemicals?
 
I doubt you're going to get it out, but you might try hydrogen peroxide or bleach. I'd mask off the steel, then oil after seeing if treatment worked.
 
a short soak in a strong solution of bleach with a squirt of dawn mixed in should take that right out
 
That antler has quite some pith (the porous part). My take is to not worry about it. It will brown out and the whole pith part will soak blood, fat and dirt like a sponge anyway. Wash it with hot water, give it a rub with a ScothBrite pad (occasionally), and after thoroughly drying, drench with mineral oil (it will keep the crud out). This is a natural material, it will behave in a, hum, natural way, like get dirty, soak up, saturate, stabilize with the crud and then fend it off. Here is, especially for you, a leather stacked handled billhook. I believe it's around 100 years old. I don't even dare to imagine what this handle has all been soaked in. It's still going strong, though : sharp and no wobble in the handle (surprisingly...).
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That’s the pith layer. It’s very porous. I’m thinking you need to force some wax into the pores.

I had a deer head buried in my garden for over a year. I had already taken the brains and flesh off mechanical as best I could.

After being buried a year I was using a garden hose to flush out the skull and the antlers started bleeding red blood.
 
Backyard said:
a short soak in a strong solution of bleach with a squirt of dawn mixed in should take that right out
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Yikes…If you like your lungs, I don’t suggest you mix soap and bleach.
Back on topic, I’d clean it up, apply some mineral oil or wax, and leave it be.
 
Why not just leave it for character, it's a hunting knife and it's going to get more of the same every use.
 
Thanks for the responses. I’m not worried about looks, I just know blood is corrosive and didn’t know if over time it would do damage. I did coat the whole knife, handle and all in mineral oil. The handles soaked it up pretty quick.
 
You could try going at it with hot soapy water and a toothbrush and then hydrogen peroxide, the re-oil it. But the pith is very absorbent
 
Just a personal preference note; I lean toward synthetic, high grip handles with sealed tangs for knives used in hunting and fishing. I do enjoy the classic look of stag and leather grips though.
 
Lee D said:
Yikes…If you like your lungs, I don’t suggest you mix soap and bleach.
Back on topic, I’d clean it up, apply some mineral oil or wax, and leave it be.
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that's essentially how they make Tilex. some detergents are compatible while others are not. simple green is not and while most dishwashing liquid is. in my line of work I have to use bleach. when I make my own "Tilex" I can mix it at whatever strength I need and it works many times better then straight bleach without the dawn. I believe it helps with the surface tension and penetration into the pores. the reaction seems more vigorous and mold and mildew will literally disappear right in front of your eyes as you spray it. I've used it for blood stains, hair dye, ink, etc on linens, mold and mildew on tub caulking, ceilings, and ice machines to clean and sanitize. even our housekeepers state that it works better then the commercially bought stuff
 
Backyard said:
that's essentially how they make Tilex. some detergents are compatible while others are not. simple green is not and while most dishwashing liquid is. in my line of work I have to use bleach. when I make my own "Tilex" I can mix it at whatever strength I need and it works many times better then straight bleach without the dawn. I believe it helps with the surface tension and penetration into the pores. the reaction seems more vigorous and mold and mildew will literally disappear right in front of your eyes as you spray it. I've used it for blood stains, hair dye, ink, etc on linens, mold and mildew on tub caulking, ceilings, and ice machines to clean and sanitize. even our housekeepers state that it works better then the commercially bought stuff
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I mixed bleach and dish soap in a mop bucket when I was a 16 year old kid and ended up shutting down the pizza joint I worked at for a the rest of the night. All we had was the front and back door, and the drive thru window, couldn’t air the place out fast enough.
 
Lee D said:
I mixed bleach and dish soap in a mop bucket when I was a 16 year old kid and ended up shutting down the pizza joint I worked at for a the rest of the night. All we had was the front and back door, and the drive thru window, couldn’t air the place out fast enough.
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yeah, not the same thing. I'm going to guess that it was the commercially provided dish soap from some place like ecolab, Zep or similar. no telling what's in it. that's why I've specifically stated to use Dawn as its already been tested to be compatible. I use it almost daily and while stronger then your typical bleach it won't shut the place down
 
For blood stains - hydrogen peroxide !

Try diluted 1:5 first
Stainless steel will not be affected for sure
Carbon steel just clean after and put some oil
 
That's a lot of pith. It's like a crusty sponge and will only compress or break apart over time and needs to be filled-in with a hardener.

I suggest something like a clear wood hardener.
 
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