Musk Ox Horn

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oivind_dahle

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As Im considering some Musk Ox for handle material, I wonder if you stabilize it or not?

I have a musk ox ferrule, and it works perfect for me, but Im considering a handle in full Musk Ox. Should it be stabilized, and would stabilizing bring more "color" to the horn? Anyone?
 
I have seen one guy the "stabilizes it" But he does a baking process and it changes the color and look of the horn.

I use a super thin crazy glue and self stabilize the horn a few times during the drying process. then again when Im gona use it. and finally again as a seal coat on the horn after its rough shaped.

Hope this helps.
God Bless YA
Randy
 
I also want to say that this is no substitution to proper drying.. Which in my experience with any natural material is the best way to assure its "stable" or as I say "found its happy place"

There is still no guaranty that the horn will not move or shrink etc after its been applied to your knife. Its just the nature of the beast.
 
Hey Oivind,

I do something like Randy. during the handle finishing process I applt liberal amounts of thin super glue letting it soak into the handle. I then sand all the glue off the outside of the hornand repeat about a dozen times. Iused to leave a coat of super glue on the horn but seen a knife that I had done this to after a year or so of use and the glue was peeling off the handle so I quit leaving the final coat on it.
 
Crazy glue is your friend when working with natural materials.

I agree with ya Bill about not leaving the super glue as a final finish. That was not what I was meaning. I apply it at rough shaping then sand the horn applying again as many times as it will take any more glue. Then finally sanding away all the superglue on the surface. So far I have had very good results with self stabilizing the horn.

The first knife I made with it is still in AS MADE condition. Part of a collection. I contacted my client and asked them a few weeks ago to check it out, after reading a thread about it on another forum. The response was, its still the same as when received. No cracks or gaps, or exposed spine or pins etc.
Which was the kind of things I had read about on the thread.. Just goes to show ya that you cant believe everything you read on the internet! lolol :) But to me it means, that with proper drying and care. This material makes a very serviceable and beautiful knife handle!
 
What is the realtive humidity in Norway. Here it is around 10% in the winter which shrinks everything, even some stabilized woods. If it is around 50 or 60, I would not be real concerned about it being stabilized, but just well dried.
 
Yea Randy that is what I do also. Jfyi I have several knives in collections with a super glue finish on the handle and they are still great after ten years for the oldest. The ones that I have seen whe the glue was peeling was in constant use and subjected to washing frequently. everyone I have seen with mutiple coats of glue applied with sanding in between and finally sanding all the glue off the surface, are holding up great.



Crazy glue is your friend when working with natural materials.

I agree with ya Bill about not leaving the super glue as a final finish. That was not what I was meaning. I apply it at rough shaping then sand the horn applying again as many times as it will take any more glue. Then finally sanding away all the superglue on the surface. So far I have had very good results with self stabilizing the horn.

The first knife I made with it is still in AS MADE condition. Part of a collection. I contacted my client and asked them a few weeks ago to check it out, after reading a thread about it on another forum. The response was, its still the same as when received. No cracks or gaps, or exposed spine or pins etc.
Which was the kind of things I had read about on the thread.. Just goes to show ya that you cant believe everything you read on the internet! lolol :) But to me it means, that with proper drying and care. This material makes a very serviceable and beautiful knife handle!
 
What is the realtive humidity in Norway. Here it is around 10% in the winter which shrinks everything, even some stabilized woods. If it is around 50 or 60, I would not be real concerned about it being stabilized, but just well dried.

It tempends on temperature and season. In summer its the same as outside, while its lower during winter inside due to higher temperature :) Funny you should ask, last week I was at a corse in this :) But I would say average is 50-70 :)
 
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