|
|
Register | All Photos | FAQ | Members List | Calendar | ShopStream (Radio/TV) | Search | Today's Posts | Mark Forums Read |
The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
sheep horn
i have a friend that wants a knife built out of a sheep horn from a ram he took this fall.....so my question is this...for handles made out of horn/antler do they need to be stabilized/sealed ...if so....how?? thanks all
|
#2
|
||||
|
||||
They don't need to be stabilized but sheep horn is a material that could benefit from stabilizing especially if you are making scales from it. If you want to stabilize make sure the material is dry, cut it over size, and send it off to K&G or WSSI .......
|
#3
|
||||
|
||||
I don't know about sheep horn per-se, but antler does not need stabilizing. Even so, you can expect some level of shrinkage..(I hate that term ) I'm sure you could seal it with some type of urethane or other cosmetic sealer but it is not needed for the handle to be "weatherproof" in any way. I've got sheds that have been laying around outside for years and they show minimal effects of weathering. Squirrels, on the other hand, can be hell on them
Horn is actually a lot different from antler as it is "alive" as long as the animal is, and continually grows, like a horse's hooves or your fingernails. It is a hair-like substance at the molecular level. This would make it more sucseptible to moisture transfer after it is cut-off. That being said, it may well be good to seal the cross grain ends of a set of scales or handle roll with something. Horn is basically made of tubules, long straw-like cells that trasfer moisture, nutrients, etc. When the horn is cut off, you cut the ends of these tubules and there will be immediate moisture loss. I know if left out in the weather, any horn will eventually come apart from moisture breakdown. I'm sure there are differences in the rate of breakdown with type of horn. I know Cape Buffalo horn is very hard and stable compared to say cow horn but they are both the same basic material. A lot of that has to do with the melanin in buffalo horn - helps stabilize it naturally. Once all the drying is done, it can be a stable structure, but there will be significant shrinking until. This is not the case with antler. Once velvet is shed and it hardens, it is "dead" and becomes a very stable, calcite structure. It will allow moisture transfer but not much. Sheep horn makes beautiful knives IMO. I would like to make one myself one day. I'm sure there are some guys around here that have made one or two and will tell us how they proceeded. Probably more info than you wanted or need. But I guess my Animal Science degree can be of use even in knifemaking...if not for anything else. __________________ Dennis "..good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from poor judgement.." -Gary McMahan, a cowboy poet and good dancer. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/p...24112090995576 |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
I'd strongly suggest flattening it if you plan to, then let it dry another year before you use it. It's tough as nails, but does like to warp, particularly if used for scales.
__________________ A good friend told me one time about forging "What is there not to like, you get to break all the rules you were told as a kid, don't play with that it is sharp, don't play with fire, and don't beat on that" Wade Holloway See some of my work. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
wow, you guys are awesome..wealth of information here...i love it.
thanks so much guys....keep the info coming if you have more..and any pics would be appreciated as well. |
Tags |
knife, knives |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|