Need to stain Whitetail antler, how?

A

Allan Molstad

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So I have this deer antler that is off the very last deer my dad took before he passed.

I have made a handle out of the section of the antler that looked the coolest.

The problem now is that I have had to sand some of the antler to get it to blend into the spacers and guard.

Now I just dont like the look of the sanded areas at all,,,I have to do something to make the handle look right.

The sanded antler is very white, while the normal unsanded antler is a nice brown color.

So what do i do?
How to stain the antler so it all looks right?
 
Get a DYE based stain, not pigment-based and go to it. I've stained antler with wood stain with good results, my dad has used leather stain with similar positive effects.

You can use the little sample boards at the home store to get a close idea.

As always, practice with scrap until you get it right!
 
This Stag antler was sanded to fit, sanded up to 2000 grit, polished, and then stained with leather dye.

sshcx-1.jpg
 
kbaknife...

Now about that knife in the photo...
How did you do the butt end of the knife without needing to sand the antler there?

The problem I have is that the shape of the antler at the butt end of my handle is not even close to round. So Im not sure how you fit the end cap so nice and close to the shape of the antler as you?
 
Allan Molstad said:
kbaknife...

Now about that knife in the photo...
How did you do the butt end of the knife without needing to sand the antler there?

The problem I have is that the shape of the antler at the butt end of my handle is not even close to round. So Im not sure how you fit the end cap so nice and close to the shape of the antler as you?
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter if it's round or not. Just shape it to the shape of the butt of your handle. Sand the butt cap AND the antler at the same time until they match up!
All of those high spots were sanded down smooth and white to 1500 grit and then polished. THEN! stained.
I also filed the butt cap to the grooves in the handle.

bc5-1.jpg
 
Dans right, potassium permanganate is the way to go for giving antlers a natural aged color. Just dissolve the crystals in water and apply to the antler. The stronger the solution or the longer it is applied or soaked the darker it will get. Do it outside in old clothes and wear rubber gloves because it will permanently turn "ANYTHING" brown including you.
 
Definitely the potassium permanganate with hot water...tried to mix it dry with mineral oil to give it the old two for one treatment with negative results- it didn't mix with the oil. Tried it with boiling water and mineral oil- looked like it mixed but it didn't stain the antler. The oil did, however keep the k perg solution from drying out after the everything cooled off- it rose to the top of the pot. I tried boiling the antler in the solution- it caused some of the outer layer of the antler to rub/flake/peel off and this was after I scraped/peeled the velvet off of one piece before boiling- the other pieces were sheds with no velvet.

You can re-use the solution over and over, even it it dries out, just add water. I've had good luck selectively applying it with a cheapo flux brush too. Don't use it in the house AT ALL, especially if you have light carpet...and the boy wanted to help you "paint"! A definite no cantact with wife situation. It hasn't happened to me yet, but the package label says it will burn skin if contact is made.

I'm going to try some copper sulfate this week for hopefully a greenish stain. I'll let u guys know how that turns out...
 
just don't get the permanganate around any type of glycerin, it burn white hot almost instantly. Many hand creams and hand cleaners have a high level of glycerin.(Not that any self respecting knife maker would use hand cream!!)
 
Safest bet (and least dangerous) sounds like Fiebings leather dye. $3 or $4 for a 4 oz. bottle and after you dye the antler you can use it to dye a sheath or 20. It even comes with a wool dauber in the package.
 
Leather dye is you best bet. The PP will fade out in some cases. With the leather dye you can also use more than one color and blend them together.
 
I have had the best luck with Birchwood Casey walnut gunstock stain. It is a water based stain unlike the leather dyes it will open the pores and penetrate antler. In the old days Kiwi shoe polish would work if heat was applied to the antler but recently there is some pink in the mix that shows up instead of rich browns. Ask Grampa if he has his old shoe shine kit still?

I like the look of the fresh white myself. Seal it a couple times with super glue and hand sand it to 2000 grit and if you use the buffer wheel at all just be sure to use white compound.
 
I like the Permanganate
1 because it's the way stag had to be treated before it was imported, it killed the buggies on them, :) and colored IT
2 for me I can control the depth of color better,,
I use it cold and premixed and kept it in a covered jar. just paint it on with a dabber as I need it.
I've used the other stains and stuff also with good results but for me this is the way I like it,, it just oxidizes it faster than nature , I just finish the antler to where it needs to be add tye PP let dry and then buff it to the desired effect. then finish it

we used to use this stuff in the school labs and blow paper up, so yes read your warnings, it won't blow up wet,or dry by it self keep the sugars out of it and antifreeze :eek:
an ideresting Note..
they still use permanganate over seas as an antiseptic..so some of it on you is not a bad thing, it's just big brother is trying to protect us from our selves. of course some of us need that:foot: :D
 
Ok....I did it...
I have stained the antler this morning.
I wish to thank everyone for their advice.

What i ended up doing is this.
My wife slept in this morning so i went into town and made a stop at the Leather store .
I talked to the guy there, and we went over the handle. Now just in front of the antler there are 4 leather washers that form a spacer between the brass guard and the antler.
Now the leather spacers needed to be dyed and so I got some dark Brown leather dye and just decided to plaster that dye on everything and see what happens.

This is all my first attempt with both leather and deer antler on a handle, so I'm learning, but I like my final result so far..

Thanks for all the advice.

It seems to have worked like a charm.
 
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