Help with Horn Handles

[electroman7]

I have some cow horns I would like to make flat slabs out of for some folders. Does anyone know how to flatten them out? Is boiling a possibility? If anyone can help me out write me at electroman7@excite.com
Thanks, Neil.

 

[Gus Kalanzis]

Hi Neil,
I am going to move a copy of this to the Shop forum so you may want to check your thread there too.

Glad to have you here with the rest of us.
Gus

 

[B . Buxton]

Neil,

I'm going to post here instead of sending you an e-mail, because there might be some others that would be interested too.
I have flattened water buffalo horn, goat and sheep horn. what I did was build a simple hand press useing a 4 ton hydraulic jack.Its just a jack that has a 4"x6"x1/4" steel plate on top that raises into another stationary plate the same size. Anyway I first cut the horns in half leaveing curled halves about 5" long, then with a hot plate I heat the horn in cooking oil to around 225 degrees and leave it for approx. 10 minutes. Then working fairly quickly slide a piece in between the press plates and squeeze. leave in the press until cool, about 15 minutes and then press another. From there I drop the scale into a gal. jar with minn wax wood hardener in it, pull a vacuum and stabilize.

Good Luck

Bill

 

[Laredo7mm]

Hey thanks bill, I was hoping someone would answer this post. I am going to trade a damascus billet to a guy who raises buffalo. He is going to give me some horn in return. Hopefully they will look nice on the knife.

 

[DaQo'tah Forge]

ok, this is DaQo'tah.

I wanted to make a handle like Ed Fowler does in his 52100 video, but I was unable to locate any sheep horn . So I tried next to find some Moose antgler. No good again...

So I sent away in the Texas supply catalog for some Water Buffalo Horn.

Well, I expected it to work, but now I see a big problem with my new horn.

I dont know what to do with it, Most of the horn is hollow. there is a solid part near the smaller horn section, but the trouble with that section is that its kinda bent and small.

what to do now?