Introduction and need help with using reindeer antlers

[Leif]

Hi

I am new to this forum where I have found very useful information

I am also rather new at making knives, I first tried making my own blades, full tang, from steel bars (O1 mainly) which was fun, but the heat treatment was always an issue for me, and the results obtained with my home-made forge were not very satisfactory

Then I found a Mora knife, a basic 511 and immediately liked it

I now bought a few with in mind to replace the plastic handles

This is where I need help: I have an old reindeer skull with its antlers but I have no idea how to work with this material, which parts can be used for handles, how to treat it, etc.

Does someone know if these things age well? I mean it must have been left exposed in the wild for some time, does this affect the strength?

I have not tried to cut it yet and I understand that the antlers must be porous, is this from the base or the tips?

Where can I find details about how to process this?

Looking forward to getting answers

[randallss7]

never used reindeer antlers, I do not even remember ever running across a knife made with reindeer antlers. Maybe if you could post a pic with maybe a ruler or something to judge size that would be helpful. On the other hand if the antlers do not hold sentimental value, cut an inch or so off and look inside, there are several videos on you tube showing you how to drill and mount antler style horns, and really there are several ways to skin that cat.

When I use natural materials like antlers I start with the handle and make my blade to match, when I use scale type materials I start with blade and make handles to match. I just grab the antler in my hand find the section that is comfortable cut it out with a little fudge factor, grind the blade end square drill it very carefully put a couple backwards notches in my tang, fill the hole with good epoxy shove the tang down flush along with any type of bolster give it a couple days to sit and do any finish work.

[Leif]

Here is a picture of the antlers, does it help?
There are several bits which are more then 20mm in diameter and feel good in the hand
I found several references to "stabilized" reindeer antlers, is this something I have to do?

[crashdive123]

I'ts difficult to judge the diameter from the photo. IMO you want it at least as big around as a broom stick. Another thing that I am unsure of is the marrow content. If you are able to use the crowns, then the less marrow the better. If the antler is "thin walled" or in other words has a very large marrow cavity you may/will grind into it when shaping your handle. Some people like the look (I personally do). As to stabilizing - I like to stabilize all of my antlers and bones. While not necessary to make a good, serviceable knife, IMO it gives it a nicer finish.

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.
I use a hacksaw to cut antler....or band saw if you have one.
Don't do it in the house......smells like burning hair.

[Leif]

The diameter seems adequate

Is there a way to check if it is thin or thick walled without cutting it?

Also how do you "stabilize" such thing?

[crashdive123]

Since I have never worked with reindeer antlers, I googled two things and suggest you do as well. The first was "reindeer antler cross section". You get a lot of pictures you can look at. Like any other antler, it varies widely. The second was "reindeer antler handled knives". Seems that they are used a lot and can make beautiful handles.

As to stabilizing - it depends on the method used. Any method you use will require quite and investment in both money and time. Unless you are going to do a lot of stabilizing it would not be worth the investment. They could be sent off for stabilizing, but that too will cost. I'm sure they will come out just fine without stabilizing.

[kyratshooter]

It appears that the reindeer antlers mentioned are real reindeer, or what we would refer too as caribou.

I had one side of a rack gifted to me about 25 years ago and still have some scales left. I have not had access to another source since then.

I have used it several times and it makes a good handle. I tend to use it on more historical blades just for realism. I used if once for a sax blade copied from an early dark ages sword and the matching belt knife.

What I had was honey colored very pretty and extremely dense.

As Crash has stated, they can be use without "stabilizing". Many historical knives used antler and bone and have lasted for centuries without the present "stabilization" which is all the rage today. Many archeological finds are intact antler that is 20k-40k years old. They are not going to decompose in a year, a decade, a century or a millennia.

[Leif]

That is reassuring
Yes it is from real caribou, came from Sweden I believe
I have also googled it and found pictures of cross sections, but it was not clear where the antlers had been cut
I will give it a go without "stabilization", I am not equipped to do it anyway

[Leif]

It did not look too good from the outside but the inside is even worse
Must have been damaged by something because the walls are very thin and rather brittle
That is disappointing

[kyratshooter]

From your description I would speculate that you are dealing with dropped antlers and not those from a fresh kill.

Weathering will oxidize the calcium in the external layers and the interior of the antler will decompose.

You need antlers from a fresh kill, or pick up freshly dropped antlers.

[Leif]

It also seems that stress and nutrition affect bone porosity and mineral tissue distribution in deer antlers

I thought that antlers from live animals (dropped) would be less porous than from dead animals (killed), isn't this the case?

[Winter]

There exists a diagram of what part of the reindeer antler is used for what uses. I'm looking. I'll post it here if I find it.

ETA-I am not finding it and my head hurts from looking. Suffice to say that the porous part should have a lot of epoxy in it and you shouldn't have a problem.

[hayshaker]

i was told by a flint knaper and knife maker that when when working with bones grinding or sawing
it is best to wear a good resperator so as not to breath in the bone dust bad for the lungs and deer,elk,ect can at times
harbor anthrax in thier bones/antlers. anyone hear of this as well?

[Leif]

I knew about the dust but had never heard about this issue...

A friend of mine will be bringing me bits of caribou antlers from his trip in Norwegian, hopefully it will be better than mine