Thread: Frederick Reynolds wearing home dyed honey horn scales

I have used hair dye in the past to restore original scales with good success. This is my first attempt on new honey horn scales. On original scales 1 hour is enough to get a nice deep colors. 2 hours lightly etched the scales so that was too long. On new horn after 1 hour I washed off just a small section of the dye and found almost no color. I reapplied to that area and let it set another hour. Washing off the dye after the second hour I found even color but transparent. I mixed more dye and applied and let set for 3 hours more. So a total of 5 hours. The color was dark and smooth with no etching. The scales were finish polished before application of the dye. After rinsing in water and drying the scales they received a coat of Renaissance Wax.
I wonder if the old masters used some process to prepare the scales for the dye to improve penetration. Perhaps the dyes they used were just more caustic.

Nice work!

I remember Neil Miller describing the process by which they dyed horn back when.
I forget the details, but it was a nasty, hazardous procedure.

Wow. Those are beautiful scales.

Super cool results on those scales sir! Thanks for sharing the process.
The rest, as always, impeccably cleaned up.
Nice job..

I am impressed. The blade is you usual very nice work, and the scales are over the top

Amazing as usual. Your a master!

Great job, now that is a nice result! Blade and scales beautiful together.

Lovely work as always

Very nice tortoisy looks! Horn and hair are both made of keratin.
So you may want to speak to a hairdresser and ask how hair is prepared before dying.

Amazingly awesome job there, as usual.