Using Elk antler for handles?

D

Dixieblade57

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Jun 20, 2007
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So I want to do a knife handle with Elk antler! I see them on Fleabay all the time. I have done several handles in the past using Deer antler, both whitetail and muley.
All these questions go together and may seem kind of redundant. However I would like to know how much I am going to be able to use of an Elk antler before I purchase one, and since we don't have too many Elk in Florida :eek: I don't have any first hand knowledge to draw on! :bud: So any advice or information some one would like to share on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

1. Is Elk antler pithy inside and if so how much is that way?

2. Is Elk harder than say deer antler?

3. Can it be successfully slabed and end up with slabs say of 3/8” thickness?
 
Elk can be very pithy and is not harder than deer. It can be very hard to slab out any and get any thickness in the Elk I have dealt with. Even the tines. The large beems can have some good areas but you have to work around the pithy area. Not a bad material though.
 
Thanks Dan, I guess I will just have to bite the bullet and try one as I really love the look of the anter itself as handle material!
 
The crowns themselves are very dense, at the junction where they attach to the skull. The section of the antler from the skull to the base of the crown has no pith in it and can be polished to where it looks ivory like.

Fred
 
Dixieblade57 said:
So I want to do a knife handle with Elk antler! I see them on Fleabay all the time. I have done several handles in the past using Deer antler, both whitetail and muley.
All these questions go together and may seem kind of redundant. However I would like to know how much I am going to be able to use of an Elk antler before I purchase one, and since we don't have too many Elk in Florida :eek: I don't have any first hand knowledge to draw on! :bud: So any advice or information some one would like to share on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

1. Is Elk antler pithy inside and if so how much is that way?

2. Is Elk harder than say deer antler?

3. Can it be successfully slabed and end up with slabs say of 3/8” thickness?
Click to expand...


Elk Antler doesn't really have "bark"...if you're ok with that look, then you'll be fine. www.AlphaKnifeSupply.com has some in stock that has been dyed...check it out.


to answer your questions (imho)

1 - yes, one of the downsides...you have to get past the pithy/soft insides

2 - about the same to me

3 - Yes - but you'll need to start with a 2"+ round. I did a bushcraft knife with 3/8" thick handles...and, like I said I had to start out with a pretty beefy section of elk antler.

4 - (the question you haven't asked yet) YES - it stinks BAD.....smells like a dog that vomited after eating a dead cat covered in poo. Ok, maybe I'm exagerating...but the smell permeates your shop and "sticks to your tongue"....:barf:

5 - (another question you didn't ask) You will most likely have to "fill" some of the antler with superglue. Stock up on the good stuff!


Dan
 
All antler has pith inside. Elk has less pith than deer antler. Sambar stag is an elk, not a deer. I have been able to sucessfully make a set of Colt SAA grips from elk without getting into pith. Knife scales are no problem at all. Elk antlers are very large compared to deer, are denser, and have a much better surface texture.
 
Daniel Koster said:
4 - (the question you haven't asked yet) YES - it stinks BAD.....smells like a dog that vomited after eating a dead cat covered in poo. Ok, maybe I'm exagerating...but the smell permeates your shop and "sticks to your tongue"....:barf:

5 - (another question you didn't ask) You will most likely have to "fill" some of the antler with superglue. Stock up on the good stuff!


Dan
Click to expand...

Dan thanks for the info on 4-5. I supected that answers is why I didn't ask those two questions. I have one for you have you ever cleaned the pith/marrow/puke out of cow horn?
Well I don't know which is worse to boil it to soften it or the actual scraping it out of the horn. Either way don't make the mistake of doing on Mama's stove, as the house will have an odor that will make air freshener jump back in the can. FYI pure pinesol doesn't help either and don't ask how I imparted this knowledge or at least don't ask my wife, :eek: as my ears get to burning :mad: every time the subject is brought up!
Thanks to everyone who helped out with this subject!
 
we all make that mistake once...


like the *first/last* time I put kydex in the kitchen oven.

Never did that again! :eek:


Dan
 
Elk and deer must be quite a bit different in Bill's part of the country than where I'm at. We have all kinds of those four legged creatures running around this part of the state and I've got dozens and dozens of racks.

Some were killed, some were sheds... and the one consistent thing is that the deer is more solid with less pith. Many of the elk antlers I have only have about 1/8" thickness of enamel, with all the rest being pith.

Even with that in mind, I LOVE elk antler. There is just something about it... the color, texture, and feel that makes it hard to beat. Even though the deer stock I have would be easier to work with, I definitely prefer the look of elk. :)

If you are buying it (especially ONLINE) I'd buy some that's already been cut. I had a customer give me a side of a shed that, once cut up, proved to be way too pithy to work with.

Hope you post your results! :)
 
I just put elk antler on an old meat cleaver and it looks great but I don't know how to seal it to protect it over the years. Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
Coye
 
We have whitetail deer here. The antlers are generally gray, with no figure. The elk I have used comes from out west-Colorado area. It has been pretty solid, especially near the base, with great bumpy surface area. Never worked any mule deer or blacktail.
 
Coye, i've used automotive clear coat from ppe, it coats and seals the horn very well and also promotes the color of the horn. make sure you let hang dry and then bake at 150 deg. if yo udon't bake it the finish will wear off with use, hope this helps.
Sterling
 
This is a folder I did with ELK. You can see the pith in the slabs. I filled it with super glue.

IMG_2649c.jpg


IMG_2650c.jpg


IMG_2651c.jpg


IMG_2652c.jpg
 
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