I was told to use baby oil, when I picked up my stag handled baby at the Randall shop.

 

Oil is OK, many makers hollow out the center and epoxy in the tang of the knife. Best wishes ol buddy.

 

Baby Oil well that is a new one. I will give it a shot.

And yes one would use Devcon Epoxy. I have read that is the only stuff to use.

Thank You for all the info.

 

Jester...A number of the arrowsmiths I know use what is called a Massey finish (after Jay Massey) on wood arrows.

Take one part DEVCON 2 Ton epoxy and three parts acetone, mix, rub on handle with cloth (you only get one wipe here as it gets tacky QUICK)

Two coats of that will make a finish that the cat can't scratch. Works on wood, bone, antler, etc.

Store in a baby food jar, turned upside down after lid is tight, and it will keep for months. I have found wood arrows that spent several years outside with no ill effects after this treatment. Tough finish. Will stick over most oil based finish also (like Watco...nothing else sticks to Watco!)

Scotty

 

We have knife experts in the Industrial Partners Forums.. ask them

 

Keep in mind that a fresh antler will srink a little as it cures and leave gaps between spacers and guards ect.
I am working on a few myself and will try Coldfingers "Massey Finish"sounds good

 

Sorry I didn't see this earlier.

Don't put oil of any kind on antler, it'll soften it. I would not use the epoxy finish on any antler either. It works fine on wood, but you need to be able to sand it down and reapply as necessary or polish and buff it. It is always wavy after you apply it. I would not put it on antler where you have the exposed bark, it'll make it look crappy.

Use a good clear wax to help protect it, such as neutral shoe wax or clear car wax.

Dan

 

I am in the process to make a knife for my father and I will use Deer Antler for the handle. I have never done this before so I would like to ask is there anything I should put on the Deer Antler to make it last?

Thank You for any Help.

Think I would seal it with a satin polyurathane inside and out.

 

Jester, I hope your project turned out good.

I put an antler handle on a knife I made for my hunting partner 5 years ago.
Didn't use anything on it to protect finish. Just clean the dirt & blood off it before it gets petrified.Still looks good as new. Antlers are tough.

a little off topic
for wood handles a "Massey" finish sounds interesting
has anyone heard of using Super Glue as a finish on a wooden handle?
..

 

I use linseed oil.

 

Neutral paste shoe polish. 8)

 

Oil??.........Epoxy finishes??? : : :

Why don't you check with some Deer?...........Find out what they use........... ;D ;D........I think you know what I'm trying to say...........

Tom
NRA LIFE

 

Lord knows I'm no expert.But I've made a good many for me and my friends out of old blades.I just drill a hole with a bit a little bit bigger that the tang. If its flat I round it off with a grinder then use a bit gauge to see whitch size I need then I use 2 in 1.Then I use sniew to wrap it up,Inidan style.Then I take a little of the 2 in 1 to wipe over the sniew.Comes out looking pretty good.Dont know how theyd hold up under rough use though.Been making little small ones out of tines.Got a letter opener in front of me now.My Brother made some out of old bleached out ones he's found but they feel different.Sound like glass or something when you lay em down.So far I havent put anything on em,just the oil they get from me cleaning the blades and sharpeing.

 

When I make any blade with a hidden tang, I like to grind some notches on the tang to give the filler agent some places to firmly "grab" the tang.
Living about 4 miles from the factory, and knowing many of the folks who work there, I can tell you that Ontario in it's hidden tang models such as the Spec series uses JB Weld to secure the handle to the blade..so that's what I use. Surely, most all of the other suggestions made here are valid also..

 

Ironglow, I was thinking the original poster was asking what to put on an antler handle to best preserve it, not how to attach it.

But I'll echo what you say in attachment, notching the tang is a good idea, even if it is to be pinned too.

Dan

 

Ironglow, I was thinking the original poster was asking what to put on an antler handle to best preserve it, not how to attach it.

But I'll echo what you say in attachment, notching the tang is a good idea, even if it is to be pinned too.

Dan
[/ quote] Sorry,!!LOL Didnt mean to step on anybodys toes!LOL. Just tryin to help. Please Forgive me!LOL.

 

Gunrunner, you didn't step on any toes!

You had some good input.

Besides, do you think we're a bunch of sissies? ;D

Dan

 

Good, cause Ive got big feet sometimes!!!LOL. No sissies here I hope...LOL.

 

I put some Indian Sambar stag grips on a Colt Single Action Army, to match a custom damascus Bowie Knife with a stag handle. I treated the stag grips by thinning some Polyurethane with the appropriate solvent, then soaked the grips for a couple days. The idea was to get the Poly to soak in. Frankly, I forget what the solvent was, but use whatever Poly requires for a thinner / solvent. They came out just great, with a very slight satin sheen. Stag will shrink a little, but they still look great. I read about this technique in a gun magazine about 12 years ago; I think Ross Seyfried was the author. It worked well for me. Good luck!

 

Ironglow, I was thinking the original poster was asking what to put on an antler handle to best preserve it, not how to attach it.

But I'll echo what you say in attachment, notching the tang is a good idea, even if it is to be pinned too.

Dan

I realized at the time that I had wandered a bit,... sorry, but I like to think a little knowledge from the manufacturers wouldn't hurt. Yes, I do use two part epoxy also, in some applications, esp full tang knives.

 

What epoxy do you use, Ironglow?

 

I've made many with deer antler, they look good many years later. Handles were epoxied to the tang even with full tang.

The hardest handle I've made yet to date was using an Elks front leg bone. Hard to tool but the end it looked great.

Nothing needed to preserve them, the bone can be dyed in various ways as can antler.

The lower jawbone of a Coyote is my favorite handle, teeth and all, but then that took a lot of time and flint napping. ;D

 

simple works good!

 

Oil??.........Epoxy finishes??? : : :

Why don't you check with some Deer?...........Find out what they use........... ;D ;D........I think you know what I'm trying to say...........

Agreed
Here's a knife the sherriff in Douglas WY made for me 50 years ago.

Made it from an old rail track saw blade and an antler from my first Deer.
I assure you that no finish was ever applied to it, and it still looks the same.

The Ruana knife (top) pictured with it is also over 50 y.o.. The Elk antler handle has just gotten smoother with use. I think the oil in your hands as well as the fat from skinning is probably the best finish.

JMO
Charlie