working with buffalo horn

milian

milian

Gold Member
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Aug 4, 2024
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207
I would love to work with buffalo horn but i have seen videos of people heating up the horn before cutting it and ive seen people heat it up after cutting it, whats the purpose of that? and any tips on polishing? and which buffalo horn is most commonly used?
 
The reason for the heat is to flatten it out. Usually it will get heated till flat and then clamped to stay that way. It's still gonna curl on you. if you are talking knife handles I would HIGHLY recommend using Loveless Bolts or Corby bolts as your fasteners instead of just pins. Buffalo horn wants to go back to its original curved shape over time. Polishing is very simple. Handsand to about 600 grit and then buff. Start your buffing with a fast cut then hit with a medium and then pink scratchless or white compound for a final finish. One secret is to have plenty of compound on your wheel or the horn will burn. If you forget and burn a small area ya can go back over it with plenty of compound and fix it.

I was rehandling this bolo for a friend. We used buffalo horn as that's what was on it originally when he bought it in the Philippines many years ago when he was stationed there as a Marine.

ipeNRFY.jpg


I used Loveless bolts for the fasteners. And buffed:

IIIgw0w.jpg


Building a sheath for it right now.
 
Horsewright said:
The reason for the heat is to flatten it out. Usually it will get heated till flat and then clamped to stay that way. It's still gonna curl on you. if you are talking knife handles I would HIGHLY recommend using Loveless Bolts or Corby bolts as your fasteners instead of just pins. Buffalo horn wants to go back to its original curved shape over time. Polishing is very simple. Handsand to about 600 grit and then buff. Start your buffing with a fast cut then hit with a medium and then pink scratchless or white compound for a final finish. One secret is to have plenty of compound on your wheel or the horn will burn. If you forget and burn a small area ya can go back over it with plenty of compound and fix it.

I was rehandling this bolo for a friend. We used buffalo horn as that's what was on it originally when he bought it in the Philippines many years ago when he was stationed there as a Marine.

ipeNRFY.jpg


I used Loveless bolts for the fasteners. And buffed:

IIIgw0w.jpg


Building a sheath for it right now.
Click to expand...
very good info thanks a lot. and beautiful handle good work!
 
I feel the need to butt in on this despite not being a maker. If this is the black colored water buffalo horn I'm actually steering away from ever buying anything with it again. I've bought knives and gun grips made from buffalo horn and they all tend to shrink no matter what I do.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
I feel the need to butt in on this despite not being a maker. If this is the black colored water buffalo horn I'm actually steering away from ever buying anything with it again. I've bought knives and gun grips made from buffalo horn and they all tend to shrink no matter what I do.
Click to expand...
ill cut it slightly bigger than i need so it shrinks to size like a sweater
 
Maximumbob54 said:
I feel the need to butt in on this despite not being a maker. If this is the black colored water buffalo horn I'm actually steering away from ever buying anything with it again. I've bought knives and gun grips made from buffalo horn and they all tend to shrink no matter what I do.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Crap never quits shrinking. Witness all the flopping buffalo horn handles on 1700s and 1800s cutlery.
 
Last edited:
Would epoxing it to a micarta backer help against shrinkage and warpage?
*also with fasteners
 
The pretty picture:

yOY9UAt.jpg


Harsh reality 1:

F1pUJXd.jpg


Harsh reality 2:

fheGRX5.jpg


The knife is probably junk because I bought it cheap years ago at a flea market but it looked cool and I had to have it. You can just make out how much steel is exposed near the horn but not the wood. The grip never fit quite right but has slowly gotten worse. It was oversized so now ironically it fits better ten years or so later better then when new. But the higher up where it never fit right is now much worse. Someone told me to by some basic non scented Lubriderm or other quality lotion, put a drop on your hands and work it it, then handle the grips. Not sure that's done much or maybe it would be worse by now. Just wanted to show some evidence.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
The pretty picture:

yOY9UAt.jpg


Harsh reality 1:

F1pUJXd.jpg


Harsh reality 2:

fheGRX5.jpg


The knife is probably junk because I bought it cheap years ago at a flea market but it looked cool and I had to have it. You can just make out how much steel is exposed near the horn but not the wood. The grip never fit quite right but has slowly gotten worse. It was oversized so now ironically it fits better ten years or so later better then when new. But the higher up where it never fit right is now much worse. Someone told me to by some basic non scented Lubriderm or other quality lotion, put a drop on your hands and work it it, then handle the grips. Not sure that's done much or maybe it would be worse by now. Just wanted to show some evidence.
Click to expand...
what a shame, its my favorite looking handle material
 
It's not if it's going to move, but when it's going to move.
It is hair, not any kind of bone so it continues to move.
 
milian said:
ill cut it slightly bigger than i need so it shrinks to size like a sweater
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, that is not how this works. Cutting/fitting scales slightly oversize will not prevent them from shrinking/warping/cracking over time, or even overnight with a significant change in temp/humidity.

Trying to anticipate HOW it will shrink, dimensionally, won't work. The Pictures above illustrate this point. The fact that they "shrank to fit" over years is pure luck.

Not meant to dissuade you in anyway from using horn, just be aware this will happen.
 
I have "fixed" gaps in ivory, horn and wood handles with CA glue. The black rubberized CA from Stick Fast works great with buffalo horn.
Starbond makes flexible CA in clear, brown, black, and white. Keeping these on hand makes filling unwanted gaps a breeze.
 
navman said:
Unfortunately, that is not how this works. Cutting/fitting scales slightly oversize will not prevent them from shrinking/warping/cracking over time, or even overnight with a significant change in temp/humidity.

Trying to anticipate HOW it will shrink, dimensionally, won't work. The Pictures above illustrate this point. The fact that they "shrank to fit" over years is pure luck.

Not meant to dissuade you in anyway from using horn, just be aware this will happen.
Click to expand...
thanks for the warning but i will still try👍
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I have "fixed" gaps in ivory, horn and wood handles with CA glue. The black rubberized CA from Stick Fast works great with buffalo horn.
Starbond makes flexible CA in clear, brown, black, and white. Keeping these on hand makes filling unwanted gaps a breeze.
Click to expand...
thanks a lot ill look for some
 
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