Straighten Antler?

[David R. Pennington]

Seems I remember something about this once but can’t remember. Anyone tried straightening antler with heat or cooking?

[smylee grouch]

I remember seeing it, you have to use the search feature I think.

[jcmcclure]

Seems I remember something about this once but can’t remember. Anyone tried straightening antler with heat or cooking?

It just does not really work...I know a few folks who have straightened antler by soaking for a couple weeks in apple cider vinegar.

My experience has been that once straightened it can still return to its original curvature. When I buy antler for knives I am particular about choosing the straightest ones that I can possibly find. Straightening just never has provided the best results.     

[Tim Crosby]

 I have used Apple Cider vinegar many times to straighten it with good results. You have to let it soak a long time, a month or so the longer the better:

 http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=43864.msg428911#msg428911

 Here it is used as a handle many months after straightening:

  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=50710.msg503219#msg503219

 Another:

  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=39330.msg380659#msg380659

 A search on Straightening antler will show a few more.

  Tim C.
 

[hanshi]

I soaked several antler pieces in vinegar for a few weeks and then used a vise and two boards to straighten the antlers.  They straightened fairly well and held up.  But they were very dark and by looking at the vinegar; it was easy to see that collagen had leached from the antlers.  Otherwise, it all appeared okay.

[David R. Pennington]

Well it looks like I need to stock up on vineager. Very handy stuff. i'm about out, what with cleaning files and pickling forged iron ware. Need to pick up another gallon.

[Top Jaw]

I have read the vinegar posts, but I think heat is worth some experimentation Dave.  I know they are not the same, but heat certainly works with horn, wood, metal, etc.  But as with horn, your probably going to need hot oil (not boiling water) to get it to a higher acceptable range to attempt to change an antler’s curve.  That’s around 325 degrees or better for horn to take away the memory.  Worth a shot.  Think I might try it myself. 

[Tim Crosby]

 I tried boiling in water with no luck, started at an hour, went up to Two and figured it wasn't going to work. Antler is not the same material as horn, much harder and denser.

   Tim C.

[hanshi]

Antler IS different from horn.  Antler is actually bone while horn is basically chitin, the same thing hair, fingernails and lobster shells are made from.