Deer Antler Crown Handle

[mtgelaude]

     Hello everyone, realized how long it has been since I droped in, so I am going to break that lull with a question for your consideration.  I have a some knives that I am going to mount some Mule Deer antler crowns as handles.

     I Have read several places that they can be Soaked in vineger so that they can be made straight.  And that you can boil it and then "push" the tang into the pith and that it will hold as strong as anything, is this the way they used to do it?  I would rather just boil/soak it and do that then have to buy more glues that mite not work as well as the old way.  I know that I could pour pewter, but it is a Bowie knife that has a brass guard, and that mite get interesting, but, I could.  I am probubly also going to pin it as well, I like to use a belt and suspenders when it comes to knives.


     Do I have to stabilize the antler?  I have herd of soaking it in Super Glue, or somthing like that, afetr dying  and straightening, and that this will seal it.  What do you do?  I ask because you guys all know your stuff and do beautifull work, and am seeking your wisdom.  Could I just get a general how to on workin with shed antler.  I looked in the archives and could not find definitive answers to my question, so I am hoping to get them here.  

     Thanks again to everybody who help, and to those who read it, thanks for your time.

Matthew Gelaude

[LRB]

  Once in place, how much does it matter the method of attachment, as long as it is strong? Drill it out to fit like you want, fill the hole with a good epoxy. I like Devcon 2 ton if I'm going to pin anyway,  but the best would be Brownells Acraglass. Set and let harden. When the epoxy has cured, drill two holes through the antler and blade tang, and double pin it. If you use Acraglass, You don't need pins at all, except to make it appear as though it was only pinned. Antler does not need to be stabilized, or coated with any finish. Just polish, and enjoy. I have never had the need to straightened antler, but I have heard that a couple of weeks in vinegar will allow it.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Depends on how old and dry the antler is.  I never tried to straighten one. I did make a patch knife by boiling the antler and then pressing the blades tang three inches into the soft center. After a few days it was dry, hard and i have used and abused it for 5 years without the blade loosening at all!!

[LRB]

   Yes, but a Bowie is much more likely to get used for things a patch knife could never be expected to do.

[Roger Fisher]

Sure why straighten those handles, pick one that fits the hand curve and all!

Looks more natural anyway!

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

   Yes, but a Bowie is much more likely to get used for things a patch knife could never be expected to do.

Granted, and on the Bowie I built with a 12 inch blade I drove the tang into the antler a good 3+ inches and then drilled and put three pins through it..... You can cut doen trees with it...  still tight 4 years later...... 

[mtgelaude]

OK, new plan.  The antlers I was going to order are no longer an option, so I am going to have to look at a couple of sets that I saw in an antique/junk shop in town.  SO.....the old question about how to get the antler hafted is still up, but the new part of my question is how d you know if an antler is still green or not?  Do I need to cut into them to find out?  Thanks everyone.

[Artificer]

OK, new plan.  The antlers I was going to order are no longer an option, so I am going to have to look at a couple of sets that I saw in an antique/junk shop in town.  SO.....the old question about how to get the antler hafted is still up, but the new part of my question is how d you know if an antler is still green or not?  Do I need to cut into them to find out?  Thanks everyone.

From all I have ever heard and the amount of deer antler I've sawn, drillled, etc., etc. - one year is a good all around time to wait for the antler to no longer be green.  Some folks cut the antler into pieces shortly after they get them and then allow them to dry at least 6 months.  You can better assess the dryness of the pith by cutting them shortly after you take them.  Then you test it after a few months.

I've purchased deer antlers at yard sales, antique shops, junk shops,etc.   Never ran into any green antler from those because they are almost always at least a year old.  The only problem I ever ran into from them was one time I guess I got a very old mounted set of antlers and the pith was dry but kinda soft.   On those pieces, I hogged out the softer pith and just used more epoxy inside them.   The antlers looked pretty old, but I don't know how to tell how old antler is by looking at it.   Don't think I would try the authentic ways to mount a blade if the pith was so "age softened," for lack of a better description.

I've never tried to straighten antler.  What I do is hold the antler against the tang and see what angle the antler "seems" right in the hand.  I do that both up and down and side to side.  More than once I drilled the tang hole short and shortened the tang so the blade would line up like I wanted.  You can also drill the hole oversize, if your are going to use a guard because the guard will cover the angle of the hole.  Had to do that a couple times as well.  Then you file the part of the antler that goes against the guard so handle "sits" right in your hand and in agreement with the blade.  I even bent one tang one time to get everything lined up the way I wanted. 

Gus