Bone Handle Scales.

[Whitehorn]

How do people prepare bone for knife handles?? Apart from letting the material dry out do they treat it in any way? Cattle, giraffe etc..

If I finally get drawn for moose this fall, I may save a femur for some custom scales..

Cheers.

 

[Cougar Allen]

I think the denizens of Shop Talk will be able to help you.

 

[tmickley]

depends...if it's clean you don't have to do anything. If it's greasy and dirty still, boil it a couple of hours in a solution of TSP. It stinks to do this, so boil it outside on the grill. Let it dry completely in the sun.
Bone can be stabilized commercially or on your own. (there a zillion threads on doing it yourself - do a search here)
It generally does not have to be stabilized but it will move with humidity changes, just not as much as wood. Sand it, drill it, shape it pretty much exactly like wood. It stinks when you grind it but you get (kinda) used to it.

 

[pee wee]

i bake them, give them to the dog, then take them back in a month. he can put some really nice chew marks on them and he gets the marrow out .they do really stink when you sand.

 

[Fiddleback]

How do you stain it? I've seen people get real pretty bone results. All I see is white.

 

[pee wee]

the one i've done i used cherrywood stain and black spray paint ,,not at the same time ,,i put it on let it soak in and wipe away the rest then i hit the edges with the belt and it looks like delrin the teeth marks look a little like scrimshaw.will it last? don't know, but it i'm having fun. i use cheap folders so it's not exspensive.