straightening deer antler

[brpc]

I have a nice piece of 4 in. whitetail deer antler that I want to use for a patchknife handle, but it has too much bend in it.

Any ideas on straightening it?

Thanks, Jim

 

[bdarin]

Boiling water?? ::

 

[musketman]

Boiling water?? ::

Is antlers made of hair or bone?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Bone.

 

[jtmattison]

I think antlers are bone and horn is hair :m2c:

Huntin

 

[Bald Baron]

How about a rino horn? I thought it was hair...

 

[Stumpkiller]

'Tis.

If it goes through a velvet stage it is bone. If it grows continually from the base with no blood supply it is hair.

 

[scott k]

So a cow horn is hair right? :hmm:
Lehigh...

 

[THOM]

Jim; you can boil it ; but it takes a long time, and it really stinks !! :shocking: :shocking:
You would need to put it in a vise while it is pliable, and slowly close the jaws..
Even doing that; it still might crack.. you will need gloves to handle it, because you have to work it while it's really hot..
Do this out doors... and remember, the center is composed of a softer pithy like substance...
What kind of tang does the blade have ?? is it a hidden tang, a full tang, a threaded tang ? Can you make a primitive folder out of it ???
There are about leventeen different ways to approach this deal..
It's exciting, cause when yer done; you KNOW it's sumpin' you done yerself :master: :master: There ain't no high like it in the world.. :imo:
You stay well; and let me know if I can help ya !!!
limpin'frog :sleep: :results:

 

[Deadeye]

Please, let us know if you succeed in bending an antler.
My thinking is while it's closer to bone , it's really neither bone or hair, it's antler and I'd be very surprised if it can be bent, especially in a piece as short as a knife
handle.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Is antlers made of hair or bone?

"Sometimes incorrectly referred to as horns, deer antlers are cast and regrown annually. Horns, on the other hand, grow continually much like hooves. Another difference between horns and antlers is that horns, like hooves, are composed of keratin, whereas antlers are composed of bone.

The composition of hard antler is similar to bone. It contains approx. 25% calcium and 19% phosphorous by weight. Organic matter makes up 39% of the antler by weight and water content is 8%."

 

[triphammer]

heres a suggestion you GREEN HORNS find a straight piece because you cant boil it straight :thumbsup:

 

[trent/OH]

I think the best thing to do would be to get a straight piece of antler.
Nevertheless, I think you might be able to soften and bend antler, if it's characteristics are like bone, by soaking or boiling in vinegar. As I recall, vinegar will soften bone. However, I don't know if it will harden again. So when you are dying your Easter eggs, toss in the antler too.

 

[Riley/MN]

Have not tried it, but read a thread on a knife-makin forum someplace... The guys there said it should be boiled in oil and then handled much as limpin' frog stated...

 

[OldNo7]

I can't comment on getting it straight...

But if the boiled antler smells anything at all like the skull-cap I boiled to remove the hide -- then you DEFINITELY want to do that outside!

"Is it soup yet?" was replaced by: "Time to puke!"

::

Old No7

 

[THOM]

I know that neats foot oil is obtained from the feet and shinbones of cattle ......
What would we name this stuff ; deer's head oil ??? :haha: :haha:
A lot of the old knives had curved antler handles..
Some were straight; some curved.. I think they used whatever they had at the time..
There is a great book by Madison Grant all about early types of knives..
Winter well
Limpin'frog

:snore: :: :snore:

 

[Hammerdhed]

Yes you can straighten antler. The boiling process will work fine. The real problem you'll have with it is the size. If it's only four inches long you're gonna be hard pressed to find a good way to apply leverage. The vice idea would work with added patience and added padding. Don't go straight from antler to metal vice as it will booger it up fierce.
Many a fine bow has been made of elk antler....so it's a long established practice to boil and form it. Primitive Archer magazine has published several articles on the process.

 

[MickyWise]

Just soak the antler in vinegar for about 24 hours. After that just put it in a vice and crank it down. Use a couple of pieces of leather to line the jaws of the vice so they don't scar the antler. Let it set in the vice for about a day. This will only work for pieces less than 3/4 inch. Any larger that that and the antler will crack in the middle. Also you should tighten the vice kinda slow until the antler is as straight as you want it. THIS WORKS!