Why is sambar stag the best stag?

S

swissdagger

Joined
Feb 2, 2002
Messages
115
I always read only good things about sambar stag.
But what are the real advantages of sambar stag over other stag?
Or is it just the best-looking one?

Thanks:D
 
Two follow-up questions:

1) What other types of stag are there?
2) How do you tell sambar stag from the others?

Thanks,

Roger
 
Sambar stag is denser, with a lot less of the soft marrow inside. Whitetail antler, while looking pretty nice, can be almost completely hollow inside after you clean out the marrow. Some sambar is almost completely solid, and that makes for a much better handle, IMHO.

Holy crap! I just realized I have 4000 posts! I really gotta getta life. :)
 
I also find that Sambar usually has richer colour when polished. More like ivory than other antlers. It generally has more bark than other antlers as well.

Other antlers that are used include European Red Deer, Elk, Moose, Whitetail and Mule deer and Caribou. I have also seen Antelope on some small knives.

A question that I have always had about Sambar is why, when Sambar Deer are spread all over Asia, does the fact that India have outlawed the export of Sambar Stag mean that we can't get it from other Asian countries?
 
Stag is my favorite handle material, especially the nice amber color.
Some knife makers color their stag using potassium permanganate, tea bags, or dye.
 
As Danbo said, Samba has the densest antler although Chittle is also very good. Wild animals regardless of species have denser antler than their farmed cousins.With a bit of experience you can pic the different species by looking at the overall shape of the antler or at the pearling (surface texture) if you only have a set of scales or a taper. The advantage of near solid antler becomes apparent when used as scales. The least amount of marrow showing at the end of the handle the better.
There are dozens of different deer, grab a book from the library and check them all out.
 
Originally posted by Keith Montgomery
IA question that I have always had about Sambar is why, when Sambar Deer are spread all over Asia, does the fact that India have outlawed the export of Sambar Stag mean that we can't get it from other Asian countries?
Click to expand...

Ditto. They're also in NZ and Australia.

JD
 
Hi Keith, Chittle (I think thats how you spell it) is a type of deer. I first used it a couple of years ago. All of the antlers I have seen are white with a surface pattern that resembles course bark ivory. I generally dye it black and it looks great. It is a much smaller animal so the racks are only 3ft long max but very heavy as they are virtually solid. Most of the antler has only a pin hole running through it. I don't know where they originate from and have yet to see the whole animal. Thats the limit of my knowledge, hope it answers most of your question.:)
 
Peter Del Raso said:
Hi Keith, Chittle (I think thats how you spell it) is a type of deer. I first used it a couple of years ago. All of the antlers I have seen are white with a surface pattern that resembles course bark ivory. I generally dye it black and it looks great. It is a much smaller animal so the racks are only 3ft long max but very heavy as they are virtually solid. Most of the antler has only a pin hole running through it. I don't know where they originate from and have yet to see the whole animal. Thats the limit of my knowledge, hope it answers most of your question.:)
Click to expand...

From Wikipedia: The chital (/tʃiːtəl/) (Axis axis), also known as spotted deer, chital deer, and axis deer, is a species of deer that is native in the Indian subcontinent. The species was first described by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777. A moderate-sized deer, male chital reach nearly 90 cm (35 in) and females 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder. While males weigh 30–75 kg (66–165 lb), the lighter females weigh 25–45 kg (55–99 lb). The species is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and antlers are present only on males. The upper parts are golden to rufous, completely covered in white spots. The abdomen, rump, throat, insides of legs, ears, and tail are all white. The antlers, three-pronged, are nearly 1 m (3.3 ft) long.
 
FYI Kerr county Texas (where I happen to live) has a huge population of Axis Deer (Chital) and I can source a fairly large antler supply from the annual shed on two family ranches. Axis do not all shed at the same time as do Whitetail Deer as they breed year round and the antler shed timing has more to do with the actual birth month of the buck. The biggest problem would be shipping the shed antlers unless they are cut up in specific lengths to fit in a box.
 
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