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Main Boards => Hunting Knives and Crafters => Topic started by: tippit on October 30, 2008, 02:28:00 PM
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Does anyone know how to antique bone and horn to a yellow or brown color???
I got an Orvis fly fishing catalog today and found a couple of Dan Winkler Limited Edition Knives in it. Now that I have figured out the flared finger guard, next on my want to learn list is Antiquing Bone and Horn! Here is a picture of the Winkler knives. Thanks for any help...tippit
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/tippit/Knives/Winkler3500-2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/tippit/Knives/Winkler950-2.jpg)
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Tea will stain them but not very deep. I would guess they use some sort of vacuum system to get the dye in deep like stabilizing wood. Might try some leather dye and see if it works. Maybe some of the others can help. I have seen some antiqued giraffe bone of late on the auction site.
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Wow Jeff those Winklers are some beautiful knives.I love the middle pic.Paul aka a 1st week bear hunter.He told use the name of a compound used by taxiderme-man to darken horns antlers or bone.The longer you live it in the solotion the darker the matiral will get.It actually penatrates the pours.Where as stain and or inks and dye's do not get into the pours.I will try and contact him asap....talk soon bowdoc
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I believe it's Potasium Permanganate crystals mixed with water. Soak the antler or bone in it or wipe it on. Wear gloves or you'll have purple hands. The piece will be purple till it dries and it will take on a nice brown, natural looking color.
This stuff is easy to get from swimming pool supplies. You may have to experiment till your happy with the color. Lin
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I believe Len is correct Jeff.Thanks Len I would never have been able to spell that one....bowdoc
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Thanks Lin & Bowdoc. I thought patasium permanganate was the stuff but I'd never used it before. I'll call around tomorrow.
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I heard if you boil onion skins, reduce the heat then as it cools let the horn soak that will add a nice patina! I have never tried it.
The potasium permanganate works well darkening Osage, you can actually see the wood oxidize that quick.
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Is a trip to the Orvis shop in the near future Jeff?
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Has anyone tried boiling walnuts, like used for boiling your traps in?.-Rod
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Vermonster, A trip to the Orvis store might be in the near future...but not for one of Dan's knives. Dan makes some gorgeous knives then Orvis adds their cut! I'm just trying to add a Keeslar/Winkler twist to a lowly tippit blade :)
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Doc,I know you can do that nice of work.I've seen some...We will be waiting to see it..bd
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Doc, Taxidermy supplies like vanDykes has PP.
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A torch will work too.
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Thanks Dan, I never thought of a torch...kinda like flaming a bamboo rod. I'll give that try too.
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yup a torch works real well. After your done you can wipe the antler or bone down with a damp cloth and even correct minor errors with oooo steel wool. Wear a mask of some type though. Burnt bone/antler is a very nasty smell.
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Hey Doc I wanted to see how the torch worked.I was thinking it's gotta be safer then some swimming pool whatever that stuff Bernie spelled.So I torched a peace of fairly bleached out mule deer antler.Here's a pic hope you can see it OK.Hey thank you guy's for the info,it may be stinkier,but it's gotta be safer for you.bd (http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/bowdocsarchery/h001-1.jpg)
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you got it Bd. The best part about using a torch
is that if you have a nice piece of antler with character you can burn it different darknesses for depth of color.
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I figured we could handle the goods in person Doc. Up close and personal look at the finish.
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Bowdoc, Dang I had my bathing suite, mask, and flippers already on and ready to got to work :) That's not your swizzle stick is it :eek:
Vermonster, That might just be a great idea. They probably have one of those at the Headquater store! You keep 'em occupied while I trace it :thumbsup: Doc
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If you do use the potasium permanganate, be sure to follow Lin's advice and wear rubber gloves. I had to clean up some that had spilled a few years ago and didn't know it would stain like it does. I was sweating a lot and wound up with purple hands and purple spots all over my arms and legs for a week. Boiling walnut hulls gives a nice dark brown die for leather, but I don't know how it would work for bone/antler/horn. A torch works real good if you're careful.
Todd
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Not the best photo, but you get the idea. And like Mysticbow said, you can go back and correct the "oops" parts with sandpaper and steel wool.
This is camel bone with red liners on a D2 blade.
Dan
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j117/OconeeDan/2008_0617Image0010.jpg)
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I was wanting to stain a piece of antler for some knife handles or even maybe use some for bow tip overlays.And I gotta tell ya the torch works just super(thanks guy's).However I was looking for a bit more of a color to kind of match a bows color rather then antiquey looking.I have some leather die in about the color I wanted(buckskin)and figured I would gave that a try.The leather dye I have is real thin and I will be happy to post the name if anyone is interested.The dye really penatrates the antler fast too.If you are wanting to change the natural color of some antler maybe give the leather dye a try....bowdoc
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Lets see some photos doc.
I was thinking of making a pressure vessel for dyeing and stabalizing woods, but that is another project for down the road.
Dan
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sticshooter uses leather dye with some very good results. For matching color thats probably a better way to go.
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Wow the color came out great..I kind of like the lower one which is light tan rather then the buckskin.The tip of the upper is the torched spot.bd (http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/bowdocsarchery/ld001-1.jpg)
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I did want to mention I tried the leather dye on deer antler,moose antler,caribu antler,elk antler and raindeer antler and it seemed to work well on all of them.bd
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Hey Bd, if you really want to get creative try using both the torch and some leather dye. If you dye first let it dry for a day or two first.
I tried it once on a stone blade knife I made with fairly good results. Sadly that was before I had a camera to take pics.
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I will give that one a try,I like it.One other thing I noted.My antler after I cut some slabs and heated it with the torch it did shrink just a little tiny bit from the heat.Once more thank you guy's for the help..bowdoc
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_0111.jpg)
This what your looking for Doc?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_0106.jpg)
These bulls were in velvet when I shot them.
You can vary the color from as light as you'd like to almost black.
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OK Paul...what did you use? Plus where have you been, I think you must have a lot of hunting stories for me :)
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Potasium Permanganate(sp?)
The purple stuff. Have it here if you'd like some. Got a bunch of wood and bone for knives also.
Been doing a bit of hunting. ;) I think you might have a few hunting stories of your own to share
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Hey Paul, how ya been?
Out with the hunting stories Doc!
You too Paul!
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Paul where you been.We was missing ya....bowdoc
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/ICAM0007.jpg)
Been doing a bit of hunting.
Feed this guy for a month and only got pictures
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_0117.jpg)
This is my buddys bull from Co. I filled my cow tag. The knife is a helle blade that I skinned and boned 1 1/2 elk and a bull moose before it needed more than a touch up with the steel.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_0063.jpg)
Still have Jeff's arrow in the quiver. Haven't dropped the string on an animal yet this fall.(Elk was BP this year.)Made a boatload of memories and a few stories to tell.Plan on sharing a fire and some story telling with you all next year at bear camp and Denton.
Going back in for more surgery on my shoulder so I'm spending as much time in the woods as I can beforehand. NO Sunday hunting in MA........... or I'd be out there now.
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you been a busy man Paul.Nice bull your friend got.bd
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I found a shed in a control burn area, that looked a lot like "PV"s pics. Where some pine staw was on the antler it was a lighter color.
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Originally posted by tippit:
lowly tippit blade :)
HA, "lowly" indeed! Now that's as oxymoronic as "honest politician"!