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Need Source for XL Scale Size Water Buffalo -
- Thread starter rlinger
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2000
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- 5,179
Roger I recently bought some scales off eBay that are 5.5" long. If you need longer you may have to cut from a whole horn which you can also find there. Seems like it's about half the price as the supply houses have it for.
The stuff is great to work with. It's much like ivory in that overheating is a bad idea and its aroma can infiltrate the house. You may not notice it but visitors might.
It polishes beautifully. I bought as much as I could afford because I really like it and plan to use it a lot more.
What I'm not sure about it its stability in temp/humidity changes.
The stuff is great to work with. It's much like ivory in that overheating is a bad idea and its aroma can infiltrate the house. You may not notice it but visitors might.
It polishes beautifully. I bought as much as I could afford because I really like it and plan to use it a lot more.What I'm not sure about it its stability in temp/humidity changes.
Dave,
Thanks pal. I recently had a customer inform me that a knife by someone else and made of water buffalo scales transported over long distance by air craft in high altitude and very cold atmosphere caused it to distort. This particular knife is to go to Turkey so it would be a long high altitude trip. It may not be that cold though by the time I finish it.
RL
Thanks pal. I recently had a customer inform me that a knife by someone else and made of water buffalo scales transported over long distance by air craft in high altitude and very cold atmosphere caused it to distort. This particular knife is to go to Turkey so it would be a long high altitude trip. It may not be that cold though by the time I finish it.
RL
roger, last year i made a knife out of buffalo horn, two scales that i rivitted on
with 3 rivits after i used epoxy to glue it on, it came loose at the epoxy edge
on the bottom of the handle, very slight! but is still came loose a little, i treated it in minwax wood hardener before i used it, its pretty unstable stuff,
easy to work with and most would not notice this little flaw, it think it turned out great, i got the stuff from jantz, the best way to keep it up is plain old
olive oil. hope this helps
with 3 rivits after i used epoxy to glue it on, it came loose at the epoxy edge
on the bottom of the handle, very slight! but is still came loose a little, i treated it in minwax wood hardener before i used it, its pretty unstable stuff,
easy to work with and most would not notice this little flaw, it think it turned out great, i got the stuff from jantz, the best way to keep it up is plain old
olive oil. hope this helps
fitzo
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2001
- Messages
- 6,648
Roger, the stuff shrinks and swells like, well...! 
It can be georgeous, but seldom completely stable. If you're putting it on a full tang knife, expect to be able to feel the tang in a year or two at most, and sometimes in a couple weeks. I don't know if professional stabilization will completely fix that or not.
It burns easy, so, like ivory, sharp belts! And, like the "hair" it really is, it smells like burnt hair, too, if scorched.
It can be georgeous, but seldom completely stable. If you're putting it on a full tang knife, expect to be able to feel the tang in a year or two at most, and sometimes in a couple weeks. I don't know if professional stabilization will completely fix that or not.It burns easy, so, like ivory, sharp belts! And, like the "hair" it really is, it smells like burnt hair, too, if scorched.
- Joined
- Nov 27, 1999
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- 3,745
A couple of other things Rodger....
First, like bone and antler, the dust is B A D for you. Wear your mask.
Second, because it does shrink, swell and squirm so badly, I like the Max the Knife method of fastening it. I have not had a loose scale since I started using it.
Use a suede like leather spacer between the scale and tang. soak it with Cutlers resin and pin or rivet as usual. The scale can swell as it wishes but stays tight.
First, like bone and antler, the dust is B A D for you. Wear your mask.
Second, because it does shrink, swell and squirm so badly, I like the Max the Knife method of fastening it. I have not had a loose scale since I started using it.
Use a suede like leather spacer between the scale and tang. soak it with Cutlers resin and pin or rivet as usual. The scale can swell as it wishes but stays tight.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2002
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- 1,398
FYI - Horn unlike antler is nothing more nor less than compressed hair - yes that same stuff you've got on your head!
Now not all horn is the same - "cow" horn (bos taurus, the most common European and African cattle, and bos indicus, Indian breeds such as the Brahma/Zebu) for instance is quite stable, fine grained (just look at the great scrimshaw done on 18th century and modern replica powderhorns), and easily polished when compared with such horned critters as the water buffalo from which we get the commonly available "buffalo" horn, the African Cape buffalo, or even such horned animals as the American Pronghorn (a unique species with no known living cousins).
As much as I dislike "stabilizing" (a personal thing - please don't give me your reason(s) why it's better - it will NOT change my mind!), most currently available buffalo horn slabs are best when stabilized. The other option is to get a whole horn and use only the superior quality inner section which is what the knifemakers and gunmakers of old used - they generally scrapped over two thirds of the horn. This stuff is usually very stable (the reason it was used as the fore end cap, buttcaps, and grip caps, on high end firearms made by such illustrious early 20th century makers as Holland & Holland, Purdey, Rigby, Griffin & Howe, et al)
Now not all horn is the same - "cow" horn (bos taurus, the most common European and African cattle, and bos indicus, Indian breeds such as the Brahma/Zebu) for instance is quite stable, fine grained (just look at the great scrimshaw done on 18th century and modern replica powderhorns), and easily polished when compared with such horned critters as the water buffalo from which we get the commonly available "buffalo" horn, the African Cape buffalo, or even such horned animals as the American Pronghorn (a unique species with no known living cousins).
As much as I dislike "stabilizing" (a personal thing - please don't give me your reason(s) why it's better
- it will NOT change my mind!), most currently available buffalo horn slabs are best when stabilized. The other option is to get a whole horn and use only the superior quality inner section which is what the knifemakers and gunmakers of old used - they generally scrapped over two thirds of the horn. This stuff is usually very stable (the reason it was used as the fore end cap, buttcaps, and grip caps, on high end firearms made by such illustrious early 20th century makers as Holland & Holland, Purdey, Rigby, Griffin & Howe, et al)
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2002
- Messages
- 1,398
BTW - After having that sharp edge syndrome show up over time EVEN with some of the stabilized natural materials I:
1) went almost completely to making hidden tang knives (think what you want but in over 30 years of making them I have NEVER had one returned due to breakage at the tang nor in any of my own HEAVILY used hunters, skinners, camp knives, et al has a break occurred)
2) On the few full tang knives I've made/still make just before completion I take a VERY fine Swiss Vee riffler and chamfer the edge of the handle and the tang - at first it seemed strange and some customers were not always happy at first, but with good salesmanship (including a guarantee of if you don't like it return it) over time I turned it into the positive aspect it was rather than a negative. Looks aren't everything when it comes t a using knife.....
1) went almost completely to making hidden tang knives (think what you want but in over 30 years of making them I have NEVER had one returned due to breakage at the tang nor in any of my own HEAVILY used hunters, skinners, camp knives, et al has a break occurred)
2) On the few full tang knives I've made/still make just before completion I take a VERY fine Swiss Vee riffler and chamfer the edge of the handle and the tang - at first it seemed strange and some customers were not always happy at first, but with good salesmanship (including a guarantee of if you don't like it return it) over time I turned it into the positive aspect it was rather than a negative. Looks aren't everything when it comes t a using knife.....
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2002
- Messages
- 2,959
Well, Peter already beat me to my main point. I'd also suggest using spacers under the scales to allow them to 'move' naturally, but at the same time these spacers could also help you overcome the size issue a bit. If you can find scales long enough, but they're a little too thin, the spacers may help add enough thickness.