Thread: Lines in Black Horn

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The horn grows in a cylinder those are growth lines the horn was cut and flattened, after an age the lines stand out more

You can soak the horn in neatsfoot for a week or two and they will lessen, most all the horn scales are dyed black

If you clean and sand them the other colors will become apparent

Hope that helps a bit

As usual, Glen hit the nail on the head. Also, in general, the horn will be lighter coloured the younger it is, i.e. nearer the centre of the horn.

Really interesting and great photo. Do you happen to know when they go about cutting the horn, is it bisected right down the middle and then flattened, or something like cut the the centre and then flattened out in one piece (the way one does with birch bark, for instance)?

Originally Posted by ppetresen

Really interesting and great photo. Do you happen to know when they go about cutting the horn, is it bisected right down the middle and then flattened, or something like cut the the centre and then flattened out in one piece (the way one does with birch bark, for instance)?

I think it "depends". The horn is thinner & hollow near the boss, maybe useful for some applications like making a horn bow.
I don't know how it would be processed for razor scales but you can be sure that back in the day they would've wasted little.