Need Help: Horn Crack Repair

Munk,

You lucky dog. I'd be happy to have just one that wasn't cracked.

It has never ruined my marriage, but I hear if your khukuri handle cracks off and you powder it up and snort it it is a powerful aphrodisiac.;)

All of my horn handles have been purchased in last year or year and a half. Maybe the ones you have had been cured longer before they went on the knives?
 
Thanks everyone for their input...
I'll do a little more CA filling and
I'll give the NP remover a try.

Lets make sure we stay on topic though, myself included.
I just dont want this to thread to put the slightest bad taste
in a newbies mouth regarding horn handles. My other horn handled khuk had an 'only visible' crack, was 20+ years old, and appeared like it was never treated. I've just run into a rare case that requires a little TLC. IMHO the
horn handles are more comfortable and pleasing to the eye (come shiny finished out of the box) ;).
 
Originally posted by WarrenR
IMHO the
horn handles are more comfortable and pleasing to the eye (come shiny finished out of the box) ;).
Click to expand...

I think so too. Plus a lot of them have that flare at the back where it gives you kind a pivot for your pinkie.
 
I think the handles stayed OK because I stayed on them. I had one crack develope shortly after I got it- a blem- the "crack that wasn't going anywhere." WEll, it was going. Rusty has posted many times on miracles he's performed with super glue, and after my experience I agree.

The one thing you can count on is that horn will disapear from the marketplace sooner than wood, and someday wood will be rare. That's one reason I like horn. The other is it has done well for me and looks great. It feels different than wood, too.

For the sake of the children, I've left out one really bad taste joke...


munk
 
No bad taste intended to those lusting after horn. Keep in mind, that I have more than a dozen horn-handled khuks, so I don't exactly hate them. ;)

The only thing they could put on that wouldn't crack at all is synthetics, and I don't want to see that. Horn is beautiful and warm feeling and comfy in the hands, and I don't even want to get into the wood vs. horn argument, mainly because it's been covered many times. I'm just saying it's frustrating that I know EXACTLY what to do with wood, and everything I've tried with horn has, to date, failed.

Oh, and Nasty, I'm afraid not...
If that handle explodes, I don't want to miss it. :D
 
I did the superglue/sanding routine on one of my blems, then buffed it with tripoli compound. Shines like Yvsa's goat.
 
WE need genuine simulated horn. WE need it the same way we need platic rifle stocks to have simulated wood grain...



munk
 
Sadly, one day we will need it, when the horn and wood are gone. Anyone else wish they were born about 400 years ago?

:(
 
I used Ballistol and Pedocan (hoof-hardener) until now. Got a can of pure Lanolin at the pharmacy last week (2 Euro - 2.40 US$ for 250 g - because it expired for use on humans) and found my carved Kumar karda litterally drank the stuff. Put a thick layer of Lanolin on it and left it on the warm heating for a day.
The lanolin dissappeared into the handle, only some spots had to be wiped off. I have several horn-handled khuks and no cracks so far. Until now I thougt Ballistol was THE thing for the khuk all around (blade leather, wood, horn) - and it is great, but pure lanolin is even better for the horn I guess.

Andreas
 
Loctite Quicktite Superglue
...great for use when you need a PERMANENT Bond :mad:
- It smiles at nailpolish remover...
- It laughs at GoofOff...
- Its bonding is tighter than a frogs (Ok we'll skip that part)

Did I ever mention how much I like sandpaper... :rolleyes:
 
can't resist this one...so here it goes.
Continuing w/ my marketing flair

Lansinoh Lanolin
its not just for sore nipples anymore...



Thanks Pan Tau, both Rusty & yourself seem to swear by this...
I'll need to pick some up any give it a try.
...for my Khuk handle, that is ;)
 
I'm going to try Udder Balm first, I have some laying around.

...It's not for me, it's for a friend.
 
Hey! I've been reading this entire thread with my brain disconnected I guess. I noticed a VERY minor start of a 2" crack on the Kumar WWII I just got as an UBBB, but it actually seems to be just below the surface for now.

In 1990, just before the elephant ivory import ban kicked in, I paid Eagle Grips in GA a small fortune for a pair of Elephant ivory grips for my custom 1911 .45. The documentation that came with them said that as they aged and began to yellow, that they would dry out and develop hairline cracks. They said that to prevent this I should apply a little Johnson's Baby Oil to the ivory about twice a year. I have done this since then, occassionally going an entire year, and so far the grips are completely unblemished.

It occurs to me that baby oil would work great on the buffalo horn as well, as they seem to me to be of about the same relative density, although ivory may be a bit heavier, and the oil really penetrates. After wiping it on and leaving a thin coat of it sit for a while, the ivory absorbs it pretty well. I think the dry horn would suck it up even better. And what the hell, it's a very economical way to go.

I can't think of anything more natural offhand and that's what I'm going to try anyway.

Just my .02¢ worth!

(For that matter, Eagle still makes plenty of grips in buffalo horn and stag, etc., etc. I'll give them a call and ask them what they recommend for treating their horn handgun grips to keep them from cracking.)

Regards,

Svashtar
 
Nice find Svahstar...
I think we'd all be interested in the results.
Like you mentioned, it pretty reasonable...smells nice to boot.
Brings new meaning to saying those horn handles are as
smooth as a babys bottom. ;)
keep us posted with the recommendations from Eagle...
 
mineral oil? OK, I guess. Is it true once you go mineral oil you can't get it out?

would it block other stuff?




munk
 
WarrenR: I've the same problem, living far up north... Cracks all over the place.
I treated mine with Lanolin right off the bat... it still cracks... can't say as I noticed much improvement unfortunately.

Be extra careful of the horn shrinking. Mine did and gave my friend a nasty cut on his palm from the sharp brass undereath. If you find it sharp, sand the brass down.
 
I actually use my wife's left over(expired) all natural facial cream (cosmetics) for the horn handles. They all absorb it pretty quick and leave a nice fragrant. Seems to work so far. I got a little rust on the fuller and fixed that with liquid wrench. I prefer not to shealth my Kruks or knive unless in Kydex.
Just don't tell the women!
 
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