Help with bone handles

W

wrangler893

Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
2
Ive been making what few knives Ive done with either wooden or synthetic materials. I have made a few with stag handles from locally harvested deer antlers. But I must say that I really like the look of the bone handled beauties I see here on the forums that are made by some of you. I dont however know a thing about making bone handles myself. Can anyone point me in the right direction to a link or something to do some reading up on the process of taking the harvested bone and producing a finished scale.

Thanks
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

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Many suppliers offer jigged bone,giraffe,camel, and other bone handles.Most are stabilized.You can make up your own .Be sure that the bone has been thoroughly prepared and dried before stabilizing in Cyanoacrylic.Done right ,it can look almost like ivory.
Stacy
 
I have used beef bone on several knives but I find it to be quite brittle. Realy sucks to be 3/4 done w/ a pair of slabs and snap one in half. My main complaint, otherwise it looks great.
 
I've played with Giraffe bone and camel and beef, I like cow shin bone the best. It's brittle, but if dried and secured rite it's pretty tuff, and looks great. Case and others have been using it for pocket knife scales for years. My only complaint is that it's too small and thin for realy big bowies and such.

It doesn't realy need stabilizing, just seal with Danish oil or wax, but it doesn't hurt to soak in polyurithane for a while eigther.

Just when your drilling it, drill undersize and into mycarta or a good hard and flat board. It's prone to chiping out where the bit comes through. I like to drill a couple sizes under then drill out with finial size bit.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I've got a good supply of cattle and deer bones. Living in Western Kentucky on a cattle and tobacco farm during the middle of deer season tends to generate a lot of bones free for the taking from friends and family. Ill do some more research on the issue and see what I can come up with. I tend to make a lot of smaller skinners and had thought this year I would try to make a few with bone handles. Is there a certain part of the skeletal system I should be saving? and do I just cut it down on the old band saw and them shape it? Or is there a way to flatten out bone like you can antlers?
 
Another thought, when pinning sharpen your pins or round the edges well as square cut pins will increase the chip factor if your holes are'nt very strait.
 
If I recall correctly there was a thread here where the individual would but the bone into his composte heap for a few months and when done it would be naturally stained brown- if you are looking for something other than plain white.
 
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