Horn

[Viking45]

Bill I read an article many years ago (pre internet days) that horn like wood had to be aged prior to use.
This man spoke of using horn for,buttons,hair combs,inlays in furniture etc. He said horn should be aged or dried before working with it. He even used the term "green" and that using green horn it could shrink or split later.
Could this be a factor in some horn going bad before it's time?
Common sense tells me horn like anything alive has blood vessels and antlers,horn and wood has what they call a "cambium" layer,the vascular system that carries nutrients/blood.
So it seems there should be a drying/curing process.

Not to get all scientific here but I figured you would have some input on the subject.
As a kid I watched old timers literally saw horns off and it bled but the animal felt no pain.
Deers regrow antlers and when they shed there is actually some bleeding but bovine do not regrow horn.

[Bill DeShivs]

Horn should be dried before use if you are cutting pieces from raw stock.
If it is going to be boiled or heated and formed, I don't think it would make any difference.
Horn does shrink, eventually.

[Viking45]

That answered one question- Always wondered how they got such large sections of horn to lie flat such as 13,15 and 18 inch stilettos.
Did they steam the horn like they do wood or what/how do they shape horn?

Cattle or bovine horn is always curved so it must be shaped some how.

[Bill DeShivs]

Actually, I don't know! I imagine the horn is boiled before pressing, but it could just be heated first.

[hogwild]

I've straightened the horn handles on straight razors before with just oven heat. They have stayed straight for years.

[Bill DeShivs]

I use heat to straighten horn. I don't know how the knife handle manufacturers do it.

[Dick Carroll]

This is an exhibit from a Frosolone museum of a hafter's bench. Notice the shear and a clamping tool held in a vise.


And from a babelfish translation on working scales:
Once obtained the blade, if the object in execution were a knife, was continued with the realization of the manico constituted from placchette (paccarelle), made of horn (of ox or bufalo) or wood. The horn, before cut manually holding it firm for means of a fixed vice to the work bank, came then scaldato and therefore sagomato and worked to form.

No further translation could be found but the word scaldatto brings to mind...scalding to me....could be steam or boiling..

[niceguy2]

cool photo , thanks for sharing , Jay.

[Bill DeShivs]

Dick,
That's a metal shear.

I would think steam might be the most efficient method. I also know the process used glycerin. That's all I know about how the horn was shaped.

[Dick Carroll]

Bill, that's correct.
This part of the translation may be a clue as the glycerin:
The polishing of the manico came executed with a special paste, composed of pasted pomice stone powder with of the lubricating oil. At last, the blade of the realized knife, came last on rotates made of woven (boff') for the last polishing and the elimination of the residual ones. The working of a single knife demanded beyond three hours.

[Bill DeShivs]

Cool picture, BTW!

[Dick Carroll]

Heheh! I think it was set up...you know as well as I do there would be more stuff laying around on that bench...

[Viking45]

Heheh! I think it was set up...you know as well as I do there would be more stuff laying around on that bench...

Ain't that the truth. With about a 9 square inch clear spot for actual working and and much more stuff including a few beer bottles,fishing lures,cheese burger wrappers,metal shavings and sawdust.

[Panzerfaust]

What drives me nuts about horn is that I know of no other material that so readily attracts bugs. I still remember the horror from years ago of finding that two of my knives, that were stored in an upstairs hot and humid room at my grandmother's, were chomped by insects. One of them, which luckily at least was not a vintage knife, was so badly damaged that I sold it for a loss.

[niceguy2]

O,K. i gotta ask... what the heck kinda bugs eat your knife ??? i`ve never had horn "eatin" in my life ???is it geographical ? where are you guys so i dont bring horn for dinner or we may never get any now i`ve owned pre-eatin horn and always wondered what did it