Working with horn

[John T]

I picked up the monster Ganga Ram earlier this month and really dig it, but the handle is too fat for my hands. I'd like to thin it out. I've never worked with horn, though. What should I know?

 

[Latticino]

You are lucky that you need to remove material to make the handle more comfortable, not add same. With my large hands the HI handles are typically too small.

I have somewhat limited direct experience in working with horn, but from my research I can recommend the following: Keep it wet and cool when working if possible to keep down the smell and possiblity of delamination (a lot depends on the tools you have available, I have a wet sander used for glass processing that works quite well). Other than that it is a pretty soft material and easy to work. If you are trying for a high polish on your final handle be careful to switch directions on sanding so each successively finer grit shows the scratches from the previous one.

Good luck.

 

[Dirtbiker]

How much do you need to remove? Taking too much out might comprise handle strength. Perhaps keep it as a show blade and buy something more suited to use. Those monster ganga rams are pretty tough to use being so heavy.