Need Help: Horn Crack Repair

WarrenR

WarrenR

Joined
Dec 27, 2003
Messages
314
I'm torn...
Took a gander at my new 15" Sirupati last night before turning in, and noticed two large cracks developed in the handle. :(

One spanned 3/4's the distance from bolster to the ring, while the other spanned 1/2 the distance from the butt to the ring (even split the ring). After reading the several repair posts about using superglue, I immediately wicked some CA into both cracks, but am now left with two large trails of hardened CA on top of the handle. For my fellow forumites that have run into this before, I have a few questions:

- I realize this may be common but will cracks this large and wide (approx 1/32") eventually split the handle with use?

- Are other cracks prone to develop or has the horn shrunk to its limit?

- Can the dried CA be sanded and buffed when completely filled? I only have two drill mounted buffs but 4 different compounds (rouge, white rouge, ebony, and grey compound).

I have since applied quite a bit of Hoof Saver. Thanks in advance for any help
 
Warren-- Keeping the horn moisturized with hooflex, etc, is a good way to prevent further cracking. Glop whatever you are using on there and let it sit for at least 24 hours. You can also use a hair dryer to apply a bit of heat to really soak the stuff into the horn. The superglue can indeed be sanded. You can use progressively finer grits of wet/dry paper, and will probably need to go up to 1500 or even 2000 to start to restore the polish on the horn. I find that spreading some hooflex on the sandpaper before sanding helps prevent scratching. If the cracks are too large to fill with superglue, you can always mix some charcoal or other colorant into some two ton epoxy and use it to fill the gap. Sand after it is dry, and then polish. A few coats of paste wax will help restore shine as well. Personally, I find highly polished horn can be a bit slippery sometimes. Sandind with 220-400 grit sandpaper will give a nice grippy satin finish, though it's probably not as pretty as the polished horn. I wouldn't worry about the cracks spreading to the point of causing a problem with functionality. I had a few hairline cracks in my BAS that I filled with superglue, and they've never expanded. If it eventually breaks, Uncle Bill will replace it.
--Josh
 
I picked up my BAS I hadn't played with for a month or so and it had 2 big cracks in it too. I had hooflexed the h*ll out of it numerous times. Even soaked it in mineral oil when it got its first crack. I also filled in a previous crack with epoxy and it re cracked.

I used sandpaper to sand mine down. I just re filled in the new cracks. The BAS I have had maybe close to a year and these are the biggest cracks yet.

All of my horn handle khukuris have cracks. you get them and the horn is real black and shiny. Then you start seeing some white in it. Then you can kind of make out a grain pattern. Then it starts cracking wherever the white is. That's the way mine have done. Except I also get stress cracks on the back after chopping hard too. So far none of the handles have come off and I have 4 horn handled ones.I think they must cut them directly off the buffalo and put them right on the knife.;) No curing.

I guess as long as they don't crack off they're ok, but it does detract from the appearance, and makes for more work.:(
 
For that matter, absolutely all of my horn handles are resistant to Hooflex. I've put it on, left them for about four days and came back to discover that none at all seemed to have soaked in. I tried the hairdryer thing too. I guess maybe I need to pull out the sand paper and get rid of that nice shiny appearance, as a rougher finish might let more (or even some) Hooflex in.

I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan of wood.
 
Originally posted by t1mpani
For that matter, absolutely all of my horn handles are resistant to Hooflex. I've put it on, left them for about four days and came back to discover that none at all seemed to have soaked in. I tried the hairdryer thing too. I guess maybe I need to pull out the sand paper and get rid of that nice shiny appearance, as a rougher finish might let more (or even some) Hooflex in.

I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan of wood.
Click to expand...

I've noticed the same thing, and no don't waste your time, I tried the sanding thing and then hooflex and I couldn't see I got any more to absorb than when it was shiny.

I've already decided all of mine will be wood from now on.

Wish we could send the kamis a care package of good cured walnut or some other hardwood so there would be no shrinkage.
 
Then it starts cracking wherever the white is.
Click to expand...

Uh Ohhh...
Theres quite a bit of white on them, only on the bottom and side of handle...(cracks were on the top).
 
You might want to try something with a higher lanolin content than Hooflex. I've been using a boot conditioner which has lanolin in it. It seems to smell like Bag Balm so I'm wondering if they would be similar. Another thread mentioned Bag Balm to have a lanolin base. At least that's how I remember it.

When I "goop" the handles, I gently melt it in with a hairdrier and let it sit for a few days.

Dunno. My climate isn't too dry either.
 
This reminds me: I picked up that Khurtie the other day, and its handle is awfully white. I mean, we assumed it was ivory, but maybe it's just about to turn into one HUGE crack! :eek:


;)
 
I always thought the white in the horn was like woodgrain. The lanolin soaking into the horn just seems to bring it out.
 
I have had a couple of very fine hairline cracks appear in the horn handle of a 12" villager Sirupati by Bura. The finish on the horn was not that shiny, and I went over it with 1000 grit, 1500, and finally 2000 grit paper. I soaked in some udder balm, a cheap lanolin based product available at Walmart. I used a few coats, and left the stuff on for a day or so each time.

I had no trouble sealing the cracks with superglue and sanding them smooth. None have been a problem again. I further covered the surface of the horn with a couple of coats of good paste wax.

The cracks were never more than visible, and barely perceptible with a fingernail. None were wide enough to get a nail into.

I have had no problems since.
 
Bruise...I agree, I use Bag Balm on them and the white marks come out more.

t1mpani...I'll buy that dud off you for $75 before it explodes!

;)
 
You might want to try something with a higher lanolin content than Hooflex.
Click to expand...

I used a product called Hoof Saver by Farnam Inc on the handle...label says it's concentrated protein hoof conditioner. It seems to work itself in pretty good. When we had Gina, a 6yr thoroughbred, she had a good size crack in one of her front hoofs. The vet gave us an antibiotic and both he & our ferrier recommended this Hoof Saver product...which worked well. I don't remember how much is was but I remember this 2oz container was expensive.
 
Originally posted by arty
I have had a couple of very fine hairline cracks appear in the horn handle of a 12" villager Sirupati by Bura. The finish on the horn was not that shiny, and I went over it with 1000 grit, 1500, and finally 2000 grit paper. I soaked in some udder balm, a cheap lanolin based product available at Walmart. I used a few coats, and left the stuff on for a day or so each time.

I had no trouble sealing the cracks with superglue and sanding them smooth. None have been a problem again. I further covered the surface of the horn with a couple of coats of good paste wax.

The cracks were never more than visible, and barely perceptible with a fingernail. None were wide enough to get a nail into.

I have had no problems since.
Click to expand...

How long has it been?
 
How dry is it where you store your khuks? I wonder if the air in one's house in the winter is dry enough to crack lips it might not be so good for horn. I keep a small container of water by the heat vent in the winter. My theory is that it will keep the air from getting too dry. It works for lips fairly well. Perhaps it's good for horn too. :confused:

Another thread mentioned dirlling a small hole at both ends of the crack to relieve the stress. I've never tried it, but it makes sense.
 
I also have a cracked handle right now. I was able to get the crazy glue off with nail polish remover. No sanding. Also, Bag Balm has petrolatum in it, and I seem to remember someone once posting that petrolatum was very bad for natural products like leather and horn. In the same thread someone said that they were able to get 100% lanolin in a jar at their local drug store for a couple of bucks. The thread was in the last six months or so. Just do a search and you should only get about 10,000 results back.:) You might also want to try putting the lanolin based product on the handle and then put it under a heat lamp for three days or so. Use mirrors to get to the sides not directly hit by the light. I hope that I was of some assistance.

- D
 
I ordered the Sirupati Dec. 11, and it arrived a couple of days later. It has not been very long....
It has been really dry in the house, and the heat runs a lot when it is cold. I expect that the dry heat has been wrecking havoc with the horn.
I'll let you know if any other shrinkage occurs.
 
Go to the pharmacy or baby care section of your supermarket. They sell 100% pure lanolin ( one brand name is Lansinoh ) in two ounce tubes for nursing mothers to use on their sore nipples.
 
Originally posted by WarrenR
- Can the dried CA be sanded and buffed when completely filled?
Click to expand...

I know it can be sanded, but I've never tried to buff it. I do know that it will polish up and shine like a diamond in a goat's ass if you use rottenstone and oil on it.:D
One of my personal Flutes has a super glue finish on it, absolutely Beautiful!!!!:D :D :D :D
 
Mine have cracked at all times of year. I have gas heat so it's kind of dry here now. But mine have got cracks in the summer and it is pretty humid then. I had one out in a rainstorm and it got real wet. When I got it inside I wiped it down and oiled the blade, and put it where I thought the handle would dry slowly.The handle looked like it had absorbed water. As it dried out it still cracked:mad: . Handle still hasn't fallen off yet.

Wonder if you sprayed some sort of sealant on a horn handle when you first got it if it would either prevent cracking or allow the uncured horn to dry slowly enough that it wouldn't crack. Anyone tried it??
 
Don't know where you all live where the floor, the statue in the city park, and handles of khuks crack so fast, but in Winter in Eastern Montana it gets dry. The heels of my feet split open. Everyone has to use something on their hands, and I mean everyone. er I've never had a horn handle crack like you guys. Sure, a couple have had cracks, but I knew that coming in and fed them super glue and hooflex. I've never seen any relation between white and cracking, either.

I have had a horn handle shrink a little. The only handle cracked so bad I needed to pin it was WOOD. Yes, that's W-O-O-D. And it was Well OILED.

I like both wood and horn. One thing, I usually leave the khuks over night with hooflex and wipe it off. A couple months later the same treatment, or I just leave a light layer on them in storage.

Sounds to me like your giving horn a bad rap. Baaaaaa said the goat.
Next I'll hear how the horn handle ruined someone's marriage...

munk
 
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