retexturing sambar stag opinions

Bruce Bump · May 12, 2003

Do you think it is wrong to add more of the natural texture to genuine sambar stag? How about if the scales are only so-so to begin with. With the almost depleated supply of the premium stag now I am considering grinding in a jigged look similar to jigged bone of old. Do you feel the value will be thrown out the window? I really dont like the "Imitation Stag" but if it is real stag I am thinking it will look good. What are your thoughts on the subject?

There were several makers of Sheffield bowies that added more pattern and/or grip this way. Should I attempt to make it look natural (hard to do) or let the foredom marks shine?

etp777 · May 12, 2003

Personally, I know I don't have the skill to do this yet. But I think if it's a so so piece anwyays, and as long as you're up front and honest about fact that it's not natural(well, the material is, but not the patterning/texture) absolutely no reason you shouldn't do something to increase teh beauty of the natural material, even if it's sambar, which some people seem to hold almost sacred. This is an art form, and if the artist wants to improve on something, more power to ya.

anyways, enough babbling, go for it.

george tichbourne · May 12, 2003

I have taken to searching through my stash of stag to find smooth worn pieces because they lend a look of age to a period piece.

Gib Guignard · May 12, 2003

I save the poor textured pieces and grind and polish them out and thy look good. Gib

RHINOKNIVES · May 12, 2003

well bruce i don't see any problem with that! beside's your going to shape and fit it.

Frank Niro · May 13, 2003

What can be wrong with making something look better? Frank

Bruce Evans · May 13, 2003

Bruce,I would say Go for it...But keep the grinding marks to a minimum,you want it to look like Mother nature did it and not the foredom

The antiques Bowies didn't really show the white were the stag had been ground either,that way they could shape and add the markings back into the stag then dye the whole thing one color and it looks more natural..I would try it on a scrap piece of stag first though,maybe a piece of domestic stag that isn't as expensive.
Good Luck,Let us know how it turns out.
Bruce

Dan Gray · May 14, 2003

Bruce my thoughts
The main thing is what the customer wants and what he will buy
so it's going to be him that has to make the decision as long as he knows.
if you can't tell it's been jigged then after passing a few hands it may not be a
question after that, stag is stag?
It is Stag but has been altered,
I'm sure it's been done and will continue to be done.
I'm getting very low on the stuff also so when the time comes and we can't get any more
we won't have much too say about it anyway.
I just sold 3 of the best presentation grade slabs to a company that will reproduce them
I'm very interested in what they come up with.

Bruce Bump · May 14, 2003

Thanks Guys for all the replies. This is a tough one because it is a MS judged knife. I am thinking about replicating a Sheffield dagger that I see in one of books. It has stag scales that have been jigged and dyed. I know that the imatation stag scales made from bone and tried to look like stag are not up to par but this will be genuine stag so it should have all the colors and beauty we all like. I think Im going to give it a try. Keep your fingers crossed.

Raymond Richard · May 14, 2003

Bruce, I've done it quite a bit using a dremmel and its easy to blend it in with dye. If the indents are dark on the rest of the stag just take a sharpie pen and do them before you dye it. I've done that on crowns where the little spike had been cut off and if you didn't know you can't really tell...