Could anyone recommend suppliers for large buffalo horns?

[Rolf]

I'm thinking of making a large buffalo(bison) powderhorn. Which suppliers would you recommend?

Best regards

Rolfkt

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

We have quite a few bison ranches here in BC and from time to time, horns are available.  But I'll warn you - be prepared to spend lots of time getting through the rough undulations and cracks.  And this horn is harder than cow horn.  I spent 4 hours with a horseshoe rasp and Nicholson 4 in hand file before I was happy with the surface.  The horn was polished like a mirror.  But the side exposed to the sun faded over a few years, and acquired some longitudinal "cracks" and grooves - trying to return to a natural rough horn, I guess.  The horn was huge - held a full pound of powder.  I paid $25 CDN for it at a rendezvous in Tomahawk,  Alberta, some twenty years ago.

[Chuck Burrows]

www.crazycrow.com

www.hideandfur.com

www.einesfurs.com

The ones I've gotten from all three suppliers have been not overly rough (now watch somebody get a real rough one LOL!)

As DT mentioned though a mirror polish is hard to get and doesn't last - those longitudinal cracks appear and some strands turn white - I "oil" mine once or twice a year with bear oil or tallow and that helps but doesn;t completely stop them...

[Elnathan]

Chuck,
Your last link doesn't work. Is this the one you meant?
http://www.eidnesfurs.com/

[knappinman]

ebay used to have some really good horns from time to time.  a buddy of mine and i split a lot of 25 and have been making horns with them they are pretty fun to play with.  anyway that is where I would get them, if their aren't any from there try hideandfur.com they are great to work with and have good competitive prices.  Daryl is right on about working the horn.  I used to hog off all of the rough with a belt sander with a 60 grit belt but after I got so much horn dust in just about every oriface of my body I went to a horshoe rasp and rough double cut bastard file as well really does a good job without forcing the dust into your airways and in your mouth and in your nose and in your ears etc.  anyway it is different than cow horn but similar in many ways.  I actually like to carve the neck and then polish only to a certain point and then blend into the rough and leave it just that way- a little bit of a rustic feel to it.  only problem is most of them are a little too thick to begin with so it is probably better to thin them out some. 
hope ya get one and you better post a pic when you are finished. 

[Beaverman]

Ive got bison horns from that same guy on mr bays emporium that knappinman has bought from, hes sells singles and in lots of 10 or 25, come from a ranch in Montana, been real pleased with them, the longitudinal cracks that are being spoken of are the hair structures drying and opening up, keep that thing oiled well and should last many years, use a natural animal oil or soemthing with lanolin, did an experiment a couple years ago and tried using hair conditioner on a buff, didnt work for squat!

[Chuck Burrows]

Chuck,
Your last link doesn't work. Is this the one you meant?
http://www.eidnesfurs.com/

Yep that's it - I misspelled - again!

[G. Elsenbeck]

Hello, newbie to the forum here.  I've had good luck getting bison horns from Matoska Trading in California.  Here's there link: www.matoska.com/

As I recall they offer different sizes and you can ask for right or left side carry.  I'm working on one of them now.  And, the prices were reasonable compared to others offering them on the net.  Of course, there is always ebay and some can be downright big!
Good Luck in your search.