Lanolin,.... O Lanolin......Here Lanolin

ddean

ddean

Joined
Mar 26, 2002
Messages
3,397
Local pharmacy:

Lanolin Hydrous
Topical Lubricant
1oz / 28g tube
5" long squeeze-tube cost about $5

pharmacy #=> NDC 0168-0051-31
Maker=> E. Fougera & Co., Div of Altana, Inc

Hard to spread until you warm it a bit.
I used a blow-dryer to warm the khuk handle
until it was starting to get uncomfortable to hold.
Lanolin liquified immediately on contact.

A tiny dollop the size of a pea softens both hands
while applying it to the khuk handle (horn).
I suppose if you were very frugal you could use a small
brush to spread the lanolin on and use only half as much.

Noticed that continued heating caused air to bubble out of the horn under the lanolin layer.
So next time I'll try to use heating and cooling to draw
the liquid into the horn.
 
Dean-- sounds like a bargain-- cheaper than hooflex, and obviously a higher lanolin content. I heat my horn handles with a hair dryer (or in front of the woodstove during winter) before applying hooflex. Really seems to help draw the hooflex into the horn.
--Josh
 
LOL I wish I had known that you wanted some. I bought a POUND of the stuff for $7.96 at:

Cedarvale

It would be enough to last 100 people a lifetime of khuks. They have other cool stuff like carnauba wax and beeswax.

I bought the lanolin and mixed it with hooflex, to make some "Super Hooflex". The lanolin by itself smells kinda funky to me. Kinda like a wet sheep. Don't know why. The hooflex thins it and gives it a better fragrance.

Speaking of fragrances, if a woman put on some hooflex with some renaissance wax, with a little tufglide thrown on, it would be like "Love Potion #9" :D :p Add some Tru-Oil, and she'd be completely irresistable!

hee hee hee
Steve
 
You have Gold Membership. You can sell your horn handle khukuri formula on this forum. Scoop some in a sandwich bag.

Goop in a bag. $x.xx delivered to your door.
 
Originally posted by ferguson ......bought a POUND of the stuff for $7.96 at:
Click to expand...
Thanks,
Never thought to look on-line for lanolin.
I'll check them out.
 
You know, I always had the impression that horn was some of the toughest stuff around. I was really surprised with the cracks in my khuks. Do you all think that there'll ever come a point where the handles will have "settled in" and cracking won't be an issue?

Ben
 
Originally posted by btice
You know, I always had the impression that horn was some of the toughest stuff around. I was really surprised with the cracks in my khuks. Do you all think that there'll ever come a point where the handles will have "settled in" and cracking won't be an issue?

Ben
Click to expand...

Ben-- I haven't had any problems with cracks in my horn handles other than my blem BAS which came with a few hairline cracks. I filled those up with epoxy and superglue, and haven't had any problems since. I glob hooflex on my horn-handled khuks when I first get them, and let it sit overnight before wiping off the excess. I usually give them a light coat every month or so. I would imagine the tendency to crack varies from khukuri to khukuri. Horn is, after all, a natural material, so variations are to be expected. Are you putting anything on your handles to moisturize them?
--Josh
 
Originally posted by btice .....Do you all think that there'll ever come a point where the handles will have "settled in" and cracking won't be an issue?
Click to expand...
Sure.
Just bake 'em in the oven 48 hours at 200-degreesF
to expel the remaining moisture.
:D
But, DON'T DO IT!

I'm kidding!

Either keep them at fairly constant humidity & temperature,
or soak them with something to displace most of the moisture.

Continue regularly using the treatments recommended here,
especially when their environment turns colder/dryer.
 
Only way I would expect horn to really "settle in" is if it is in an environment with stable temperature and humidity. Like wood, unless it is completely sealed, some expansion/contraction is bound to occur as the environment changes.

Interesting site ferguson! Pure carnuba wax isn't easy to find. And this is intriguing:

Orange Wax is a soft wax obtained from the rind of the orange fruit as a by product of the production of essential oils. Chemically it is very similar to lanolin and as such it can be looked upon as a vegetable alternative to that animal wax. This emollient wax improves skin-feel of a product and contributes to barrier function and moisture regulation.
 
hydrous vs anhydrous
Click to expand...

While similar, I not sure if the the product described in 1898 will be directly comparable the that purchased in today's pharmacy.

Not sure whether hydrated or anhydrous is better for stabilizing horn:

-Hydrated product has the potential to lose the water, causing some shrinkage (but likely less than if no dressing was used)

-Anhydrous may (dunno whether lanolin absorbs water from the air) take up water in humid conditions causing swelling.(Ferguson, does the packaging with yours say anything about this?)

As I understand it, the idea is to replace moisture with something that won't readily move in and out of the horn like water does. And won't dissolve or other wise damage the horn.
 
Steve, I think the reason lanolin smells like wet sheep is because that's what it is. :D I don't care for the smell either. Josh, I bathed my khuks in hooflex for about three days and then wipe them down with it about once a week. It seems to have slowed things down, but part of my problem is that I live in an area with very low humidity, especially in the winter. It's a little higher in the summer, what with the swamp coolers on 24/7.

Ben
 
Btice water buffalo horn is highly durable in the environment it is naturally from. Hot humid jungle. Especially compared to wood, horn resists mold/fungus much better in that hot humid jungle. Also since horn is rather porous, and the oils from the hand are rather nourishing. A knife/machete/khukri/bolo that is used every day, in that hot humid jungle, gets a tiny bit of protection every day.

Now flip over here to the US. Most of us dont live in a hot humid jungle, and even in some of the more humid places in the country, the humidity difference is rather large. Also, with many places having 4 seasons (or some semblance of), humidity/temp changes are much higher than the natural environment where the horn was originally intended. Finally those infected with too much HIKV, or just dont have enough things to chop, dont use the knife as much as it would normally be used in its native environment (eg. 24/7), so none of that lovely hand juice gets rubbed on regularly. Also, the humidity/temp change from Nepal, to dry arid Reno, and then to whatever customer is the final destination can be quite dramatic. And almost nothing likes drastic humidity/temp changes.

Anyways, as to whether the horn will ever settle. If you live in a 4 season area, it wont ever settle as nicely, as if you live in a place where things are constant. However, unlike most wood handles, since the horn isnt sealed (unless you sealed it with super-glue), most likely youll need to put something like mineral oil or lanolin, to prevent the massive escape of moisture, and help the piece deal with the constantly changin humidity/temp. Or you could put it in some kind of home-made humidor/storage box where temp/humidity is kept at a constant. Anyways, I rambled like I always do. Worst case secenario, once all the moisture runs out, youll have a few big cracks (though probably not as big as you may fear), realistically with a little maintenance nothing too bad.

I have a (oh wow I just realised its 25 years old now, it was bought a year before I was born) horn hilted bolo, that before I got it 14 years ago, was stored in a grill outside my parents home in Rochester, MN. And when not in that grill it was tortured through some pretty harsh gardening, which many would consider abuse, but back home is considered what a bolo is for. Its also been used as a fire stirrer, paint can opener, etc... Anyways, beyond getting washed off by the garden hose if too dirty to return to the leather sheath, it received no care. If youre not familiar with MN climate, well summer can get hot (and there were years where it topped 100, though not too often), and winters can get real cold (brrrr...negtive 30 degree cold). And that poor little bolo sat in that grill with no love. Anyways, the point of my story, is that despite all that neglect/abuse there is one semi-large crack down the hilt, and it thats about it. Cracks on horn are cosmetic, and unless that thing is cared for daily, or kept in some hermetically sealed container, or you are incredibly lucky to live in a place that never has any temp/humidity changes, they are inevitable.

Oh lordy, did I ramble.:footinmou
 
Federico, thanks for the great info. I feel better about the whole thing. I was thinking that I wasn't doing enough and that can be frustrating. As long as it's a natural occurance, I can deal with it. Actually, I had to fill a decent sized crack in my BAS and I like the character that developed after I had finished. I used JB Weld mixed with some black dye that Steve had so generously sent to me. However, I did'nt use enough dye and epoxy took on a dark charcoal gray color. But, it doesn't look bad and when I pick it up the connection is more personal...if that makes any sense. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

Ben
 
Originally posted by ferguson
Speaking of fragrances, if a woman put on some hooflex with some renaissance wax, with a little tufglide thrown on, it would be like "Love Potion #9" :D :p Add some Tru-Oil, and she'd be completely irresistable!

hee hee hee
Steve
Click to expand...

You left out the requisite Hoppe's No. 9. :D
 
I got my Carnauba Wax from Snowdrift Farm in South Tucson, AZ. Depending on what you are using it for in most formulas Candelilla Wax can be substituted if the Carnauba is not available.

I got pretty prompt service from them when I ordered. You can email them at <info@snowdriftfarm.com>:)
 
Darn it Steve, you stole my thunder. Once told my wife's best friend if she wanted to catch THAT guy ( my best friend ) use Hoppe's no. 9, not Chanel no 5. Sent her a bottle of it, too.

You know, they were best man and bridesmaid at our wedding and always sent us anniverary cards. Then they missed sending us one once, and we later found out they were a bit busy. Found out they started off a 2 week vacation by seeing the Head Nevada Supreme Court Justice to get married. On our anniversary! That's how they met...
 
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