Case Amber Bone

The Fort

The Fort

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Does the Case Amber Bone tend to darken as its used & carried? Anyone darkened one with coffee, tea, or anything else? Pictures would be great! Thanks!
 
In my experience, bone tends to lighten with time, while stag tends to darken. I'm guessing due to the dying process of the bone.
 
Here's a Case amber bone medium stockman and Texas Jack, both dyed with brown leather dye. The jack got a little too dark for my liking. The stockman looks just about right, just slightly yellowed. The difference is that I wiped the stain off after a few seconds on the stockman whereas I left it on the jack for maybe 30 seconds. The second photo is a Case amber bone trapper. This turned out just perfect I thought, again, wiping the dye off after just a few seconds.



 
Zuchus said:
Here's a Case amber bone medium stockman and Texas Jack, both dyed with brown leather dye. The jack got a little too dark for my liking. The stockman looks just about right, just slightly yellowed. The difference is that I wiped the stain off after a few seconds on the stockman whereas I left it on the jack for maybe 30 seconds. The second photo is a Case amber bone trapper. This turned out just perfect I thought, again, wiping the dye off after just a few seconds.



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I LOVE that Jack Knife! That is just about the perfect color in my mind. If all the Case Amber Bone Knives looked that way, I might actually own one!
 
Mine have, in fact, developed a slightly darker, richer color with use. I rub them down with mineral oil every so often; don't know if that has anything to do with it or not. Some of the bone is a lot lighter from the factory, depending on the batch you get. I've seen some that were almost white.


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I think Case's Amber Bone will tend to darken a bit with handling, over time. And as mentioned previously, if mineral oil is used on it, either for the covers themselves or just incidental exposure (from hands during maintenance, etc), I think the mineral oil will tend to make lighter colored bone a bit 'warmer' in appearance, and will add a little depth to their appearance as well. I like the look of that warmer character in bone-handled knives, and sort of view it as the 'patina' for the handles, to go with the patina on the blade of a faithful user. All of this is in view of what I've seen in my Amber Bone 6375CV stockman, since I've been handling and carrying it most every single day for a while.


David
 
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They offer a burnt amber bone that is already a little darker than the regular amber bone. Here is my stockman and it has appeared to darken, because it had a whiter spot in the jigging that is now as dark as the rest of the knife.


 
Will a light coat of lubricating oil soak into the amber bone and make it "clearer"? This might just be me being paranoid here, but I like to oil my knives with Hoppes #9 Oil (Not the Solvent) when they are exposed to moisture/rain.
 
EDCanAdamas said:
Will a light coat of lubricating oil soak into the amber bone and make it "clearer"? This might just be me being paranoid here, but I like to oil my knives with Hoppes #9 Oil (Not the Solvent) when they are exposed to moisture/rain.
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It might, to some degree. That's what I was referring to in my post earlier, in that it might add a little 'depth' to the bone, making it appear somewhat glassy near the surface.

Not sure what's in the Hoppe's #9 oil; but I'd stick with pure mineral oil instead. Other oils might include other ingredients that may not be the best for this task, like a little bit of solvent (usually for thinning & penetration) and corrosion inhibitors, etc.


David
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
It might, to some degree. That's what I was referring to in my post earlier, in that it might add a little 'depth' to the bone, making it appear somewhat glassy near the surface.

Not sure what's in the Hoppe's #9 oil; but I'd stick with pure mineral oil instead. Other oils might include other ingredients that may not be the best for this task, like a little bit of solvent (usually for thinning & penetration) and corrosion inhibitors, etc.


David
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Thanks. I'll try to keep the Hoppes Oil on the blades only. The "glassy" appearance doesn't mean I "ruined" it, right? Do you know if as the oil dries if the "glassy" look goes away?
 
EDCanAdamas said:
Thanks. I'll try to keep the Hoppes Oil on the blades only. The "glassy" appearance doesn't mean I "ruined" it, right? Do you know if as the oil dries if the "glassy" look goes away?
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On my own bone-handled knives, when they've not been oiled for a while, the glassy look tends to diminish. I wouldn't oil them too much; just a wipe of a mineral oil-dampened cloth maybe two or three times a year. If done as such, there's no reason to worry about ruining it.


David
 
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