Leg bone

[MBurks]

Anyone ever use it for handles?

I'm wondering if the knuckle is pretty solid. Any other information or tips appreciated too.

 

[Frank Niro]

Lower leg bones on moose and bison are great bone bone material. Some will finish up as dense as ivory when finished down to 800 and polished.
Frank

 

[MBurks]

Lower leg bones on moose and bison are great bone bone material. Some will finish up as dense as ivory when finished down to 800 and polished.
Frank

Thanks.

These are definitely not moose or bison though, probably hogs or very small people.

With the guy I got them from could go either way.

 

[Darrin Sanders]

I've used Whitetail deer leg bones with the knuckle at the butt several times. Its an excellent keepsake for a young hunter who's first deer is a doe. I also have a Moose leg that I will eventually use on a BIG Bowie.

 

[MBurks]

I've used Whitetail deer leg bones with the knuckle at the butt several times. Its an excellent keepsake for a young hunter who's first deer is a doe. I also have a Moose leg that I will eventually use on a BIG Bowie.

I think a couple of these are deer, a buddy gave me pile of them a,while back.

 

[Horsewright]

I've used quite a few bison leg bones. Lots of work for very little handle material by the time ya get it all processed and usable. However as Frank mentioned very cool looking. Very little dense part on the outside and lots of marrow.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

My favorite is mammoth leg bones ( or any other mammoth bone.. It looks really good. Generally a light brown to cream color. I seal it well with CA when the shaping is done, sand up to 2000 grit, and buff. Other good ancient bones are sea cow (Steller's sea cow is the best), walrus/whale, and ice age mammals (wooly ox, wooly bison, pigmy bison, etc.).

These bones are different from fossilized prehistoric bones that are petrified. They aren't stone, but instead are mineralized bone. They cut on the band saw, sand on the grinder and by hand, and polish well.

The more weight that the legs carry ... the denser the bone. Elephant, camel, giraffe are all commonly used in carving and in knife handles. It is often hard to tell them from ivory. They are commonly dyed to make the lines and grain show. I used to buy whole giraffe shin bones from Africa. Camel bone is also readily available. They were super dense. I would dye them tan and have them stabilized.

 

[MBurks]

I was thinking I would use them pretty much as they are except shape the knuckle.

I was planning to cut and fit for a stick tang, and then fill all the voids with epoxy when I pin the handle.

I haven't cut into any of them yet but I have one that is broken, and it is very pithy so I'm not sure if I will use them are not.

Pretty easy to get antler and I have access to some pretty nice woods so I probably won't do it very much but wanted to do one for the guy that gave them to me.

 

[Frank Niro]

Get prepared for a very uncomfortable smell !
Frank

 

[GHEzell]

The knuckles are usually not very dense, (depending on the size of the beast), so don't expect to be able to do a lot of shaping there.

As Frank said, the smell from sanding bone is extraordinary.

 

[MBurks]

I've used bone a lot to make guitar nuts, I usually buy blocks for that and it's always very solid. I think it's usually cow leg bone but I'm not sure.

I know what it smells like though.