Finishing black horn

[B.Habermehl]

I’m making a couple of priming horns out of unknown source probably aisian buffalo horn. These were bought at a pet food and specialty store as dog chews. I saw a alternate fate for the two I bought. They started out about 6 inches long with relatively long solid tips slated to become other articles. Heavy walls. After thinning and drilling the tips for primer valves I fitted pine base plugs. I rough sanded my rasp marks out and scraped the horns. Then steel wooled them and gave them a going over with a green scotch brute pad. Seems to need a bit more love. I don’t want to get too nuts. Just interested in you methodology. BJH

[jbigley]

Sounds interesting. Can you post some pics?
I made a horn spoon from American bison (buffalo) horn for my wife a few years back, and finished it pretty much the same as you described for yours. After smoothing with 4/0 steel wool, I just buffed with a rough cloth. A light coat of olive oil (since it is an eating utensil), well rubbed in finished the piece. For a powder/priming horn, you could possibly use shoe polish, rub it in, and buff with burlap. Just a thought. --JB

[Top Jaw]

If you get black horn too glossy, it resembles plastic.   I always stopped at a sanded or scrapped and steel wooled finish - which is a soft satin. 

[Jeff Murray]

This probably sounds like overkill but you might try dying the black horn black to even the color and then wax with a mat wood wax finish.

[Marcruger]

I agree. Polished black horn looks plastic.  I think scraped would look better. 

[jbigley]

I agree. Polished black horn looks plastic.  I think scraped would look better.

I, too, agree.  Polished black horns resemble plastic. Just don't over-do it. Never use a buffing wheel.
And, IMHO, polished -- to a high gloss-- horns of any color resemble plastic.
However...
Buffing with a coarse cloth, such as burlap, after going over it with 4/0 steel wool, should not "polish" the horn. My horns have been done this way, and they look like....horn.
FWIW --JB

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

...and polished silver looks like chrome.  So leave tool marks in your silver inlays?

[Tim Crosby]

 You might try burnishing it with a glass bottle or piece of antler. If that is to shinny rub it back with 0000, rub some Brown shoe polish on it and let it set up. Don't buff it just use it and see if it is what you want, kind of a dirty look.

   Tim C.

[B.Habermehl]

Here’s pictures of the two horns. I just scrubbed the heck out of them with denim.

[Tim Crosby]

 They look good.

    Tim