Antler Scales

[DanF]

I'm glad this is over. It was one of the most aggravating, nasty materials I have ever worked with, fighting me every step of the way.


Now for the larger pieces of Sanbar Stag..., .

 

[opaul]

Nice job! Beautiful pieyof antler.

 

[DanF]

First and last for me Opaul, I like the looks of it on other peoples knives, but it is not a material I enjoy working with (but I did not want to waste what I had bought in 2018). Truth be told, with my lungs I got no business messing with it.

 

[springer82]

Is it a dusty material?

 

[opaul]

First and last for me Opaul, I like the looks of it on other peoples knives, but it is not a material I enjoy working with (but I did not want to waste what I had bought in 2018). Truth be told, with my lungs I got no business messing with it.

I don’t mind working with it but I do wear my respirator when I do grinding and sanding. It does have an unpleasant smell. Reminds me of the dentist office.

 

[opaul]

Is it a dusty material?

For myself I don’t find it anymore so than working with wood.

 

[DanF]

PPE is a must with it for sure, all kinds of nasties in old animal stuff.

 

[Sean Jones]

That turned out really nice!

 

[Dennis Morland]

Dan that turned out really nice. You might want to reconsider your final decision. Handles like that one sell quickly.

 

[Von Gruff]

Unusual to get the shape of the antler to match the blade shape as well as that one does Dan. How have you treated the pommel to get it black??

 

[DanF]

The tang was made to fit the antler scales and the pommel is African blackwood jimped to match the texture of the antler, then faded out before the end of the pommel. That area will get a bit more work to more closely match the antler surface.
There is also a little shaping and jimping on the antler to blend in flats on the top and bottom of the tang, then dyed over.

 

[opaul]

The tang was made to fit the antler scales and the pommel is African blackwood jimped to match the texture of the antler, then faded out before the end of the pommel. That area will get a bit more work to more closely match the antler surface.
There is also a little shaping and jimping on the antler to blend in flats on the top and bottom of the tang, then dyed over.

You did a good job with that. I thought it was part of the antler.

 

[DanF]

Opaul, you had mentioned in your thread about trying to match antler to tang or tang to antler. That was excellent advice, and I read through the elk antler processing thread you referenced and that was a great help.
Hopefully, I have added a bit more and someone else can run with it, adding their own tips in the process.

 

[Doug Lester]

Nice job on the knife but if you want nasty try bone. It took days to air out the house.

Doug