Stag care

I've been told that stag/antler,ivory,bone [if not stabilized] should be soaked in light mineral oil or baby oil a couple times a year. This will keep it from drying out and cracking. I believe I read this in one of the past knife mags.
 
Stag and ivory are quite different, ivory is fragile and brittle, anybody who's owned a six gun with ivory grips knows that.

High quality stag is a very durable material, I own about half a dozen stag knives and never had a cracking problem with any of them down here in the Florida climate. In my opinion the material gets even more beautiful with age and use.

The oldest stag knife I own is my Dad's 40 years old Puma knicker. It has a small 1/8" chip missing, but considered that it was the sole fixed blade knife of a professisonal forester, who carried it every day and used it to field dress probably well over 1000 deer and boar, it is in pretty good shape. The sheath is about to fall apart and is all sewn up. Blade and stag handle have probably another 40 years of life left, and that despite the fact that my Dad did not soak it in oil ever.
 
indian george said:
I use Mineral Oil coatings. I would think soaking would raise hell with a glued on slabs.:confused:
Click to expand...

I've never had good luck soaking ivory. Maybe it's dryer here than where the guys doing this are, but my experience is the material just soaks up the oil and discolors.
Stag is one of those things folks get stabilized. My question would be if you stabilize the stag, does it change it's looks. :confused: I like the more natural-looking stag rather than the dyed, overly plasticized look.
 
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