horn handle

[aulddiy]

I need some advice . I make the odd carving knife - from cut throat razors. My son -in-law gave me a set of antlers yesterday. These look as though they've been outside a while. Now I'd like to use them to make handles for a few blades I've shaped.

Although I've worked with bone I've never used antlers.
The question is how do I revive the antlers?
If anyone has used this material I'd appreciate a bit of their experience.
rgds
John
PS I think these are from roe deer.

[squbrigg]

Antler can be power carved, but make sure you take it outside (it stinks) and wear a protective dust mask (the dust caries bacteria). Then give it a try, sand it, shape it, polish it, it will give you some spectacular results.

Bob

[Canopener]

Auldiy,
I am not sure what you mean by revive. I am guessing that your antlers are bleached out and bone white and that you would like them to be more like the knife handles that you see commercially; that smooth combo of brown and ivory.
Well I have never worked that much with antlers, but my neighbor collects elk sheds every spring and sells them to people that make furniture and lamps and things like that. They can be quite valuable if they are fresh. The key words here are "spring" and "fresh", because as soon as they are dropped, bugs and furry little critters like to eat the outside of the antler [evidently nutritious and delicious], that I am assuming is the look you desire. Check your antler for tiny tooth marks. My neighbor once gave me a really nice 5 pt. elk antler that I thought was really cool, but sure enough had been worked over by critters and was worth very little to him.
My advice is to hit the woods early in the spring for fresh material, or be creative with the bone white antlers. I see no reason it would not work that way either.
Good luck,
Jim