Moose and other N. American antlers vs. Sanbar stag.

L

loosenock

Joined
Jul 10, 2002
Messages
77
Sanbar stag has long been the standard for stag/bone handles. As we all know this material is becoming scarce and expensive. The antlered animals of N. America are more plentiful. I have never been really fond of deer because its sorta grey and "pithy" in the center.

What are some of your favorite N.A. species for handle material?

I recently purchased a huge piece of moose antler. It has 4 very large tines 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter and about 8 inches long. The palmation of the piece is maybe a foot square and about an inch thick. Although very old, this material is very solid and dense. I think I could make maybe twenty knives from this piece. It is not sun bleached out but lighter in color, almost almond. Any tips on making it darker or more stag like? How does moose react to Potassium Permanganate? Any polishing and finishing tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Joe
 
With the moose or other antler that you have, you may want to try to scortch the pieces with a torch. I have found that by gently playing the torch along the antler you can get some pretty nice amber and brown colors that are very natural looking. Be careful not to burn the pieces. When finishing, I hand sand at 400 grit then buff with either "white diamond" or "no scratch pink" compound. This will give you a high polish without adding any other color. This method also works on any type of bone with similar results. No further sealing or finnishing is needed.
 
MOP Company offers some antler / stag dyeing. It's what SR Johnson uses.

JD
 
The beam of a moose antler makes a very good stick tang handle and some of the tines can be used.The palm can be hard to use because of the curve.
Chuck
 
You can put it in the oven, but be careful. I have also used walnut stain to darken with good natural looking results. I usually "lightly" polish my handles with brasso and a buffing wheel.
 
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