Buffalo powder horn

[VEARL]

I have a Buffalo powder horn that I got several years ago. I have noticed that it is appearing to be drying out. Thin lines along the body.
Is there anything that I can do to restore it?

 

[Rifleman1776]

Unless the integrity of the horn becomes a problem, I would leave it alone. Some 'life' can be restored by soaking in mineral oil.

 

[bpd303]

I would use Renaissance wax on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Wax

 

[Rick Son]

Buffalo horns are like hair not like other horns,the lines may just be the hair lines.

Skidmore leather cream???Alot of leather guys i know say it's good for anything~

 

[atki]

I have a buffalo horn I have had and used for ten years. The maker told me to use Howard's Feed and Wax. You can get it at Home Depot.

WB

 

[Black Hand]

Buffalo horns are like hair not like other horns,the lines may just be the hair lines.

Horns are horns.
The fibers of the buffalo horns just seem to be more coarse than those in cowhorns. What you are seeing are the fibers that have become more visible due to drying.

 

[VEARL]

Thanks everyone for your help. I will give those answers a try.
Vearl

 

[J D Hoffman]

try linseed oil keep an eye on it and a light coatof varnish will seal it up if it cracks

 

[omarick1948]

Buffalo horns are like hair not like other horns,the lines may just be the hair lines.

Horns are horns.
The fibers of the buffalo horns just seem to be more coarse than those in cowhorns. What you are seeing are the fibers that have become more visible due to drying.

Black Hand is 100% correct! __ All bevin horn are made-up of hair like fibers, but Buffalo horn seems to crack and dry-out faster from loss of natural oils in the horn. Bee's wax mixed with a portion of Neatsfoot oil will help restore some of the damage, but cracking is common in bison horn and just the "nature of the beast", so to speak!

Rick

 

[TJK]

I just rub a little tallow on mine every so often

 

[tenngun]

Same, when I clean my gun i "grease" my horns.

 

[Billnpatti]

Being made of a material similar to hair, I would try pure lanolin on it to re-moisturize it.

 

[MSW]

not to hijack the thread, but I just finished the shaping of a bison horn ... this was my first attempt at bison ... i'm fairly satisfied with it, and I put paste wax (the bowling alley stuff) on it ... put several thin coats and it took a nice sheen, but it doesn't have that 'plastic' look that some finished seem to do.

did I mess up? should I have used something else?

thanks!

 

[Billnpatti]

Not at all. Ya done good. Wax will seal it and keep the natural moisturizers from escaping as quickly. I would think that as long as you keep an occasional coat of wax on it, it will keep looking good.

 

[MSW]

thanks! this will be my 'go to' finish for horns now... it just looks a boatload better than the shiny plastic look I was getting from varnish- like finishes ...

more work, but worth it, IMHO

thanks again!