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Using bone and antler
- Thread starter Oldman57
- Start date
Hengelo_77
Basic Member
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- Mar 2, 2006
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- 6,323
try here
https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/shop-talk-bladesmith-questions-and-answers.741/
And ot you shoulde be fine to use that material as is
https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/shop-talk-bladesmith-questions-and-answers.741/
And ot you shoulde be fine to use that material as is
kuraki
Fimbulvetr Knifeworks
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2016
- Messages
- 4,679
Necessary, no. Sometimes preferable. Stabilizing only becomes necessary when the material wouldn't otherwise be suitable, or fragile.
I haven't used enough bone to form an opinion on stabilizing it. Mahogany doesn't require it and protected and sealed with an oil finish is quite stable.
I don't stabilize antler either, but will likely be doing a "museum fit" with it going foward, that is leaving it proud with rounded edges where it meets fittings.
I haven't used enough bone to form an opinion on stabilizing it. Mahogany doesn't require it and protected and sealed with an oil finish is quite stable.
I don't stabilize antler either, but will likely be doing a "museum fit" with it going foward, that is leaving it proud with rounded edges where it meets fittings.
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2010
- Messages
- 2,424
The answer as always is: "It depends."
Good bone or the right (preferable) type of antler doesn't require stabilization typically, because they're the premium, low pith varieties. Ideally, Sambar if we're talking about stag. Many other types of horns and antlers don't require stabilization either, and in many cases, they don't stabilize worth a damn anyway.
Now, if you're trying to use some random antlers from white tails, etc, then they're usually not that suitable for knife handles, although in limited cases, there are small sections that are, especially if it's very old big examples, however, knowing what to select, and how to process it, is something you develop over years of use, with all the requisite successes and failures, and not likely to be viable for a novice. Best bet is to buy some from a reputable vendor, although sambar is getting hard and harder to find, and is difficult to select via the internet, this is another cultivated skill, and highly personal, the stag I'd select based on how I like to work it, have it look when finished, in conjunction with the type of knives I make, and the processes and tools I utilize, may not be the same as would be best for another maker.
Sambar is the king of stag, but old european red deer were used quite often a century or two ago, back when the deer were much bigger, due to less encroachment of society. Some of the more finely, but heavily textured examples used on some of the old golden age knives were this type of stag and not sambar.
Good bone or the right (preferable) type of antler doesn't require stabilization typically, because they're the premium, low pith varieties. Ideally, Sambar if we're talking about stag. Many other types of horns and antlers don't require stabilization either, and in many cases, they don't stabilize worth a damn anyway.
Now, if you're trying to use some random antlers from white tails, etc, then they're usually not that suitable for knife handles, although in limited cases, there are small sections that are, especially if it's very old big examples, however, knowing what to select, and how to process it, is something you develop over years of use, with all the requisite successes and failures, and not likely to be viable for a novice. Best bet is to buy some from a reputable vendor, although sambar is getting hard and harder to find, and is difficult to select via the internet, this is another cultivated skill, and highly personal, the stag I'd select based on how I like to work it, have it look when finished, in conjunction with the type of knives I make, and the processes and tools I utilize, may not be the same as would be best for another maker.
Sambar is the king of stag, but old european red deer were used quite often a century or two ago, back when the deer were much bigger, due to less encroachment of society. Some of the more finely, but heavily textured examples used on some of the old golden age knives were this type of stag and not sambar.