Horn and Ivory scale treatment

Sorry but what kind of Neatsfoot oil and where can I purchase from UK? Do i soak it over night and would it be good for Ivory also?
Best regards,
Gabe

"Pure" Neatsfoot Oil is what you are after and you should be able to find it at a Tack shop. You can soak horn scales overnight or longer but I would not use it on ivory scales.

Bob

I agree with Bob. Pure neatsfoot oil for horn and let the horn sit in it for as long as you like, I tend to keep it in there for at least a week.

For ivory, I would suggest soaking in clear mineral oil or light polish with toothpaste, dry and polish with Renaissance wax. Neatsfoot oil could possibly stain ivory.

Thanks guys, would that be ok with the blades still attached to scales in Neatsfoot oil?

Dunno, might be a little messy to clean up but I don't see it doing any harm. Course I could be wrong.

Bob

Usually with ivory you wipe some oil on and leave it for an hour or so and wipe it off. Personally I've always used Walnut Oil and I've never had any issues.

Please, don't use oil of any type on the ivory!

The ivory absorbs the oil and becomes translucent and loses his beauty.
The ivory must simply be clean with toothpaste.
Also the blades with handles in ivory must not be oiled.

You can pick up Neatsfoot from any saddlery or farmers/agricultural supply store. Failing that, it's readily available on ebay and it's pretty cheap.

Just make sure it is actually neatsfoot oil and not some sort of blended stuff if you order it off Amazon...

Ivory breathes and can dry over time and can crack. Using toothpaste or polishing cloths will polish it but not protect it.