should one treat antlers for handle material?

[grumpy_grinder]

hey guys , im just wondering what the standard procedure is for treating antlers against the elements or do most guys leave them in their natural state. maybe even just a wood stain or varnish? i would like to put antler scales , im not sure if sawing the antler in 2 will compromise its integrity.

thanks

grumpy

 

[Matt Rochester]

You can use leather dye to touch up places that have been ground or sanded and turned white. I just finish with pink scratch less compound on the buffer.

 

[grumpy_grinder]

thanks matt , do you sand your entire antler smooth? if making scales by sawing the antler in 2 , besides drilling for pins what else should one do? just buff? no need to seal the antler with any kind of varnish? sorry i don't mean to sound ignorant this is entirely new to me.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

The deer keep the antlers outside-and to my knowledge they don't put anything on them.

 

[grumpy_grinder]

True bill , I'm using moose antlers not that it matters but they somewhat decay overtime and bleach. I've seen antler handles where the antler looks healthier as a handle then as a rack on live game. I'm not even certain of what I'm asking makes sense. I just figured some sort of sealer would be applied to them.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I treat stag with potassium permanganate to give it color, then I actually spray it with Krylon clear acrylic.
Then, I sand and polish it-leaving the acrylic and color in the low spots.
But- a sealer isn't really necessary on deer antler. I have never used moose.

 

[grumpy_grinder]

Thanks bill , I'll give that a try! Any pictures of yours that you wouldn't mind sharing?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Here's a miniature I did:


A restoration/rehandle:

 

[Bill DeShivs]

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Here is a piece of antler that had great texture, but was practically white. I used the potassium permanganate/Krylon coloring with a little black magic marker in some of the grooves.

 

[BonhamBlades]

I send mine out to be stabilized.

 

[grumpy_grinder]

Wow , those look great bill!!

 

[Horsewright]

Second on Bills method. I use the same method on elk sheds. Never tried the Sharpie part though, clever. If you were to buy stag its been treated this way too. The PP is a disinfectant and that was its original purpose in treating antler. That it provided cool color to the antler was just an added benny. Here's one of mine and the elk shed it came from prior to treatment. Before and after kind of deal.