Camel Bone Scales? Anybody Tried Making Them?

I am interested in cutting up camel leg and shoulder blade bones into razor scales. Anybody here doing that? Looking particularly for answers from someone who has actually cut these bones up into scales already. I am pretty sure the leg bones will have a large pithy core but I am thinking I should still get maybe 4 pairs from one. But the shoulder blades, are they pretty solid? If so I should be able to saw one of them up into several pairs, right? And what about giraffe bones? I have made quite a lot of horn, wood, and synthetic scales, so not interested in how-to or recommendations in that area. I have done a couple pairs of prefab bone scales and I rather like them, but I really don't like paying so much and trusting some guy in India to get it right for whatever razor I am rescaling, so I am looking into a DIY approach.

Yes

In fact, I have a Buffalo leg bone on the bench right now, I have done Elk leg bone too, and have one bleaching out on a tall stump, Done scales from Raw Antlers also, even more processing work :D



Honestly, it is a lot of processing work, and I have the experience and tools to do them, the only difference from buying pre-processed blanks is your own satisfaction of using a Raw animal product that you processed...

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Yes

In fact, I have a Buffalo leg bone on the bench right now, I have done Elk leg bone too, and have one bleaching out on a tall stump, Done scales from Raw Antlers also, even more processing work :D



Honestly, it is a lot of processing work, and I have the experience and tools to do them, the only difference from buying pre-processed blanks is your own satisfaction of using a Raw animal product that you processed...

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Have you tried any shoulder blades? And are you bleaching with just sunlight?

I have used elk and cow bone, as well an antler. It was not as easy as I had imagined. I do have a well equipped shop. Bleaching has many routes you can take. I find unbleached is less brittle and chippy and prefer to cut, shape, carve from raw and then bleach, dye and polish. Also the natural staining and mottling on raw can be quite beautiful.

I have used a dogs chew bone from pet supply. Scraped off as much as possible and boiled I remove balance. Made scales. Used scraps for wedges or inlay on wood scales.

I give my gigantic dog cow femurs as chew treats. After a couple of years what is left is pretty clean and smooth. Given long enough he'll start breaking big pieces off I'm afraid he'll choke on (if he can do that to a cow femur imagine what he could do to your arm) and the wife thows them away. I've always wanted to make scales out of one but never have...YET.

Bone scales here, don't know species, but Karl suggested them for me for something to resemble ivory, as usual, he did a beautiful job on this Wade & Butcher, The Celebrated Hollow Ground Razor, For Barber's Use.

Love that laser beam bevel that Escher stone leaves on the blade.....:-)

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Bone scales here, don't know species, but Karl suggested them for me for something to resemble ivory, as usual, he did a beautiful job on this Wade & Butcher, The Celebrated Hollow Ground Razor, For Barber's Use.

Love that laser beam bevel that Escher stone leaves on the blade.....:-)

Attachment 320687

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From what I understand, camel and giraffe? are a lot denser so they don't have all the dark specks that bovine bone does, giving them more of an ivory look.
Those scales look great, maybe Karl will chime in.

Water buffalo and oxen scales are suppose to be very dense also. Oxen are still cattle but much older than meat beef and used as beasts of burden, so that likely increases the density too. The oxen bone is used a lot for Majong tiles since ivory became unavailable. I would expect that any mature animals, except geriatric ones would all be in the highest density of their species. I do like water buffalo a lot. It has the density.

I bought a Filly 13 off of Mainaman a while ago, it had giraffe bone scales (https://sharprazorpalace.com/razors-...nderillas.html). The scales are a beautifully pure, almost transluscent cream colour. I don't know if he made them himself, though. Hopefully he'll chime in here soon - I see he hasn't logged into the site for a couple of weeks.

I have been messing about with bone recently.. Work toward the outer edge is some advice ..

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Is that dark piece water buffalo horn? that's huge! looks like a lot of material to work with. Is it thinner at the big end like a cow horn?

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Bone scales here, don't know species, but Karl suggested them for me for something to resemble ivory, as usual, he did a beautiful job on this Wade & Butcher, The Celebrated Hollow Ground Razor, For Barber's Use.

Love that laser beam bevel that Escher stone leaves on the blade.....:-)

Attachment 320687

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The scales are giraffe bone from Austin Kennedy. Hard, dense and very small pores. You can add a bit of age to them by dyeing in tea. My experience with cow bone is it is much more porous. During polishing the color of the polish will fill the pores. I typically use a white cake on a stitched cotton wheel for the final polish. If you use something with a dark color like an ebony base on cow bone it will leave the black in the pores and look more like very old cow bone. Once it is in the pores you can't get it out so don't use something like knife makers green.

I have one of those dog bones that is about to retire. I think I may try it just to see how it works out. I'll report back if I do.

I did one and liked it. Now I'm looking to do one in giraffe.Attachment 320773
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Working on this one in ivory but going with brass liners in order to save them. Next to bivine, ivory, and in camel bone.

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Originally Posted by tintin

Is that dark piece water buffalo horn? that's huge! looks like a lot of material to work with. Is it thinner at the big end like a cow horn?

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Yes it does thin out at the other end..The final colour of the scales would be a nice surprise ..

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Originally Posted by karlej

The scales are giraffe bone from Austin Kennedy. Hard, dense and very small pores. You can add a bit of age to them by dyeing in tea. My experience with cow bone is it is much more porous. During polishing the color of the polish will fill the pores. I typically use a white cake on a stitched cotton wheel for the final polish. If you use something with a dark color like an ebony base on cow bone it will leave the black in the pores and look more like very old cow bone. Once it is in the pores you can't get it out so don't use something like knife makers green.

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Karl, actually it is Camel bone vice giraffe. Very strong, polishes up nicely and makes fine looking scales. Just to clarify...

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Originally Posted by ajkenne

Karl, actually it is Camel bone vice giraffe. Very strong, polishes up nicely and makes fine looking scales. Just to clarify...

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I knew that. Getting old I guess. Hope you are well Austin.