Show me your horn...

[cotedupy]

[Sorry - that was a cheap joke, but I couldn't resist.]

For a while I used to make custom kitchen knife handles basically for a full time living, and I still make some, just not all day every day. And one of the nicest things to work with is buffalo horn, it's a really lovely material for ferrules, and I try to use it as often as possible. So I've always found this article by @pkjames fascinating:

https://knivesandstones.us/blogs/news/k-s-natural-horn-color-classification

Who's got some fancy horn then? I'll show you mine if you show me yours...

 

[cotedupy]

Here are a couple of my favourites I have on me atm.

First a Mazaki gyuto with a lovely bit of 'black marble' horn that I saved specially to put on something nice for myself:

And secondly an old Takohiki I received recently from Refcast with an (apparently much rarer) 'red marble' ferrule. This is the first piece of red marbled horn I've had, and it's remarkable - it's genuinely, properly red. And rather beautiful I think:

 

[brimmergj]

This was my first time working with horn or koa. This is ox horn instead of buffalo, but still a horn.

 

[Molokai Livin']

This was my first time working with horn or koa. This is ox horn instead of buffalo, but still a horn.
View attachment 256924View attachment 256925View attachment 256926

Whoa, that horn and koa is stunning

 

[dragjp]

Big fan of horns as well, close to every Japanese knife I own(ed) has it on the ferrule or somewhere. This happens to be by my side when typing.

 

[enchappo]

Any tips on sourcing horn @cotedupy? I’ve found it rather confusing!

 

[OkayMode]

Lovely bit of wood on that Maz too @cotedupy - what is it? Looks like some form of burl.

Did you apply a kasumi on the Maz? Looks nice

My current favourite type of horn is the blonde kind that displays more green tones - almost like jade. It pairs very nicely with rosewood - the handles on my Tetsujin and Nakagawa x Myojin are my favourites.

I also have a streaky horn and ebony handle knocking about that I’m working out what to pair with. I was thinking of using uchi powder to darken the dammy pattern on my Wakui Seiryu and fitting it on that.

 

[cotedupy]

This was my first time working with horn or koa. This is ox horn instead of buffalo, but still a horn.
View attachment 256924View attachment 256925View attachment 256926

Well that combination came out well eh! Very good aesthetic eye you’ve got there.

Any tips on sourcing horn @cotedupy? I’ve found it rather confusing!

The only people I found in Aus selling it were Nordic Edge. Not the cheapest, and they only have black, but good quality. I bought a fair few rolls from them and they never had any cracks or fissures. If you’re buying multiple rolls though it is going to be cheaper getting them from Asia.

Or if you just want one or two ferrules worth then perhaps ask some local knifemakers...

https://nordicedge.com.au/buffalo-horn-handle-roll-polished/

 

[Choppin]

And secondly an old Takohiki I received recently from Refcast with an (apparently much rarer) 'red marble' ferrule. This is the first piece of red marbled horn I've had, and it's remarkable - it's genuinely, properly red. And rather beautiful I think:

View attachment 256890

View attachment 256889

that red marble is beautiful! matches nicely the wood color

 

[enchappo]

The only people I found in Aus selling it were Nordic Edge. Not the cheapest, and they only have black, but good quality. I bought a fair few rolls from them and they never had any cracks or fissures. If you’re buying multiple rolls though it is going to be cheaper getting them from Asia.

Or if you just want one or two ferrules worth then perhaps ask some local knifemakers...

https://nordicedge.com.au/buffalo-horn-handle-roll-polished/

Yeah, the challenge I found was trying to buy blond horn in small volumes… or then working out what on AliExpress was worth a punt. Thanks!

 

[Choppin]

Yeah, the challenge I found was trying to buy blond horn in small volumes… or then working out what on AliExpress was worth a punt. Thanks!

if you find something interesting on AliExpress please let me know

 

[cotedupy]

Lovely bit of wood on that Maz too @cotedupy - what is it? Looks like some form of burl.

Did you apply a kasumi on the Maz? Looks nice

My current favourite type of horn is the blonde kind that displays more green tones - almost like jade. It pairs very nicely with rosewood - the handles on my Tetsujin and Nakagawa x Myojin are my favourites.

I also have a streaky horn and ebony handle knocking about that I’m working out what to pair with. I was thinking of using uchi powder to darken the dammy pattern on my Wakui Seiryu and fitting it on that.

Good eye! The wood on the Maz handle is indeed Cypress burl, stabilized with a bit of grey dye by @birdsfan for me. And actually now that I think about it - it was the other way round to what I said above... I'd been saving the wood block/blank for a while, until I got a really nice piece of horn to go with it. And streaky mottled horn like that really does it for me.

And yep - that was a high contrast, kasumi type finish, off a Belgian Blue Whetstone iirc. Mazaki (at least the couple I have) are pretty tricky to make look even remotely acceptable, so I was quite pleased with that particular polish. Normally when I try doing aesthetic finishes on that gyuto it doesn't come out looking anything like that nice.

---

Those are some lovely ferrules you have there. The jade blonde is really very nice, but for me: the streaky red-black-blonde one, that you haven't found a home for yet is just stunning!

 

[Steve56]

A bit OT here, as these are not knives, but here’s a pair of Cape 2000 Japanese straight razors scaled in honey horn by Alfredo Gil.

 

[cotedupy]

A bit OT here, as these are not knives, but here’s a pair of Cape 2000 Japanese straight razors scaled in honey horn by Alfredo Gil.

View attachment 257085

Not at all! I was gonna say... the thread is open for any kind of horn x blade combination.

Those two are still (for my tastes) the most beautiful razor scales I've ever seen. The colour and figure is completely gorgeous. I love them.

 

[Steve56]

Thank you Oli!

 

[Rideon66]

Steve you made me go look at my razors and in looking I found an old project I forgot for a few years. These un-drilled and un-polished horn scales are for a nice old Greaves wedge.

 

[enchappo]

if you find something interesting on AliExpress please let me know

Will do!

 

[chefcomesback]

 

[cotedupy]

that red marble is beautiful! matches nicely the wood color

It is nice isn't it. I hadn't clocked the ferrule colour initially, was only when I received it that I noticed just how red it is. TBH I'll probably save the ferrule and use it to make a new handle with some fancier wood. Looks pretty nice atm, but I wanna make it really posh. I've done the same quite a few times before actually. Below is a rather rusted old nakiri, which I cleaned up a bit and thinned out, saved the ferrule and used it with Elm burl for new d-shape handle.

You'll like this one @Ok__mode_6953... Jade blonde horn kinda patinates with age, becoming more green, and more translucent. Looks pretty cool here I think.

(I hadn't finished work on the blade when I took these shots, in fact I don't think I'd glued the handle in yet. But you get the gist.)

 

[OkayMode]

the streaky red-black-blonde one, that you haven't found a home for yet is just stunning!

Glad you like! I hadn’t even fully appreciated the red streaks until you pointed it out if I’m honest.

You'll like this one @Ok__mode_6953... Jade blonde horn kinda patinates with age, becoming more green, and more translucent. Looks pretty cool here I think.

That is lovely. Now I have… the horn.

I’ll see myself out.

 

[Molokai Livin']

Here’s one of my neater looking horns.

 

[superworrier]

There’s the reddish marble

The black and white marble

The creamy white

But also the underappreciated black horn with some white (the lighter ones that are almost grey also look great on black ebony)

 

[bahamaroot]

You could at least buy me a drink first...

 

[OkayMode]

Here’s one of my neater looking horns.View attachment 257278View attachment 257279

TxK KU? I love the blonde horn and cedar handle combo that often comes on these. Looks super classy.

I managed to unearth a BNIB KnS B#2 Maz from the other forum, and get the hype around the premium KnS handles now.

I’m normally a die hard octagonal handle person, but I quite like the heart shape on this one, and the streaky jade/red horn ferrule is dreamy.

 

[Molokai Livin']

TxK KU? I love the blonde horn and cedar handle combo that often comes on these. Looks super classy.

Yes, good eye!

 

[enchappo]

if you find something interesting on AliExpress please let me know

 

[Choppin]

View attachment 270041

oooh send me the link pretty please!

 

[enchappo]

oooh send me the link pretty please!

Just pm’d

 

[Desert Rat]

Top and bottom cow horn string nocks on three English style yew bows and an osage flat bow.

 

[dehory]

Is there a reason why most high end Japanese handle makers don't opt to construct their ferrules with the horn enclosing the entire top (where the tang goes in)? IMO it looks much cleaner when you can't see the wood/filler around the tang.

See for example, probably my two nicest J-knife handles: a Tanaka x Kyuzo (made by Taihei) and a FM Damascus vs a Nigara (from Homebutcher) and a Mazaki (Knives & Stones).