I use a lot of horn in my work: kudu, cape buffalo, waterbuck, gemsbuck, etc. The problem is that the inside is curved, so one has to flatten it to fit on the tang.
I use linseed oil in a saucepan to immerse the pieces of horn in. This is then slowly heated on a gas stove. Two problems: 1. It reaches burning temperatures very quickly, you have to watch it carefully. One moment it is soft and pliable, the next it is ruined. 2. The fumes from the linseed oil makes me nauseous.
When the horn is hot, soft and pliable I clamp it between a hard flat surface and a piece of soft (ceiling) board with a piece of hardwood on top. The ceiling board prevents the patterning on the horn surface being squashed.
Anybody out there have any better ways of doing this?
One last thing - when buying horn, make sure you get a pair, as the patterning on both are the same.
Tiaan Burger
http://www.limpopo.co.za/burgerknives.htm
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I use linseed oil in a saucepan to immerse the pieces of horn in. This is then slowly heated on a gas stove. Two problems: 1. It reaches burning temperatures very quickly, you have to watch it carefully. One moment it is soft and pliable, the next it is ruined. 2. The fumes from the linseed oil makes me nauseous.
When the horn is hot, soft and pliable I clamp it between a hard flat surface and a piece of soft (ceiling) board with a piece of hardwood on top. The ceiling board prevents the patterning on the horn surface being squashed.
Anybody out there have any better ways of doing this?
One last thing - when buying horn, make sure you get a pair, as the patterning on both are the same.
Tiaan Burger
http://www.limpopo.co.za/burgerknives.htm
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