Antler scales?

So, in all the infinite wisdom of someone completely new to the SR scene, I immediately contracted RAD and decided that "cheap razors are good enough for now" and bought 5 or 6 cheap razors. As Drill Sgt used to say, "Good initiative, bad judgement..." I quickly realized that my honing skills were subpar and sent the best 3 blades out. Now I have a couple more with broken scales that I am hoping to restore. I also happen to have a bunch of whitetail antlers. It my naive mind I figured I could just bust out the dremel, make a cut down the middle and then do a little sanding here and there, drill a few holes and presto, new scales. The more I think about the steps and look at the antlers the less sure I am...

Any advice on where and how to start? I figure once I get to the pinning I will have acquired some of the mini hex fastener things but getting to that point is the first step!

I am curious about whitetail antler scales myself. I can't recall seeing any here which might be an indication...

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Originally Posted by Bdnield

So, in all the infinite wisdom of someone completely new to the SR scene, I immediately contracted RAD and decided that "cheap razors are good enough for now" and bought 5 or 6 cheap razors. As Drill Sgt used to say, "Good initiative, bad judgement..." I quickly realized that my honing skills were subpar and sent the best 3 blades out. Now I have a couple more with broken scales that I am hoping to restore. I also happen to have a bunch of whitetail antlers. It my naive mind I figured I could just bust out the dremel, make a cut down the middle and then do a little sanding here and there, drill a few holes and presto, new scales. The more I think about the steps and look at the antlers the less sure I am...

Any advice on where and how to start? I figure once I get to the pinning I will have acquired some of the mini hex fastener things but getting to that point is the first step!

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Check this link out! I do hope it will help! :shrug:

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Originally Posted by cudarunner

Check this link out! I do hope it will help! :shrug:

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I'm not seeing a link :)

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Originally Posted by Bdnield

I'm not seeing a link :)

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:gaah:Wait till you get old and feeble minded! :gaah:

making straight razor scales with a minimum amount of hand tools - YouTube

Well I am already feeble minded so I'm sure getting older will be fun.... Thanks for the link!!

So is there no one out there that has tried, successfully or not, to make scales from deer antler?

Antelope yes

Been messing with some Deer, Elk, Moose, and Caribou

Making them is really easy have seen a few but they are huge clunky thick unwieldy things, so I have been working trying to peel the bark off the Antlers and put that on some G10 sheet to create what I want.. So far I have had no success in achieving the look I am after..

My scales are at the MOST .125" thick most are often .090" -.110" so bring the Antler into that arena has been a challenge.. Have tried just about everything you can think of to straighten them, but cracking is the norm.. Ton of work without the look I am after yet ....

Good Luck

White tailed deer is tough...hard to find a 6 inch slab with the the right dimensions due to the bends in their antlers, and usually the mass is too small so its just hard to use....elk I could see being much easier

I was wondering if what Glen said about the 'look' he was after was using the textured outer side that develops from the velvet skin and looks wonderful!

I've been considering the same look! However finding antlers that are large enough to provide the area without excessive roughness has eluded me!

Glen mentioned the antlers breaking so I took a look and found this:

How to Straighten a Deer Horn for a Knife Handle | eHow

I don't have any antler to spare as my son would kill me if I tested using his first set of mule deer antlers that are waiting to be mounted!
:chop:

If anyone gives this a try OR Has Tried This I hope that they well chime in! I hate to see time, materials and money go to waste!

Thanks for the good info. Looks like the scales on one of my razors, possibly two, is about to die. Guess the time table for tinkering is getting pushed up!

I guess I also need to get out and do some hunting for recent elk sheds.

I have and they have to be thick to work as the material isn't strong enough when you make it thin. This razor's scales I made were a handful & IMO too thick after the fact...but they did work if that's your thing:

Attachment 155864

Attachment 155862

Attachment 155863

Attachment 155865

My antlers were whitetail from a deer I had harvested. I have quite a few sets of antler in my shop...but they are one day destined for custom knives & will not see a razor unless it's a kamisori type blade I may make.

I did those a while back: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...tml?highlight=

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...-complete.html

Using that search box in the top right of your screen does wonders.