Engraving in Buffalo Horn- Can it be done?

[Engraverdavid]

Has anyone tried engraving in buffalo horn? I have a client that wants to know if I can engrave some lettering on a horn handled knife. I have never worked with horn. I am wondering if the consistency would be close to ivory?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Dave in Berkeley, CA

 

[Don Cowles]

Scrimshaw is often done on buffalo horn, but I haven't seen much engraving. It's pretty soft material.

 

[Abigail]

I'm wondering how you will hold the buffalo still.
Abigail

 

[monk]

no, nothing like ivory. it's much more splintery cutting across the grain. and it varies from horn to horn. some folks like to work it when it's warm. i would only work this stuff with high speed rotary and bonded diamond- just my preference. i've never done scratch work on this stuff, or used actual gravers on the stuff.

 

[monk]

buffalo horn

I'm wondering how you will hold the buffalo still.
Abigail

ah, that's easy. after you tip one over it just lays there and lets you decorate its horn !

 

[Bill Tokyo]

My 1.9 cents worth

Years ago I carved a bit of ivory. I think that it's going to be much different than ivory because they are different materials. Bone is different from ivory (and also from horn) in that ivory are basically teeth. This means that Ivory doesn't have any microscopic blood vessels running through it. Bone does and I would think horn does also.

Horn also has the big difference in that a horn worker can unwrap and peel the horn of in layers, soften it and mold press it, even making it perfectly flat. From what I've read (I've never done it) in Italy a favorite horn for this is water buffalo. In Italy, water buffalo milk is used to make Parmesean cheese, so there's lots of water buffalor around.

While I don't think that a water buffalo is the same critter as the creature that ran around the American plains, I would bet money that both being somewhere in the bovine family (along with Bossy the cow) that their horn wasn't too different.

Bill

 

[DanM]

It would need to be a scrimshaw process on the horn. water buffalo horn is very fibrous opposed to american bison. you might want to check your local library system for the powder horn making book in the included links.

http://www.muzzleloadermag.com/18th%20Cent%20Powder%20Horn/Powder_Horn_review.htm

http://home.cogeco.ca/~sheppard/scrimguide.htm

 

[ChrisB]

Hi Dave,
S.A. Buffalo horn, and for that matter any Horn, is formed from hair, and therefor very stringy in the growth direction, So if You try and engrave!! it will lift and leave stringy hairs.
Either Scrim it which is a very Popular method, or carve it with a sharp rotary Bur.
Hope This Helps!

 

[pilkguns]

I have cut some buffalo horn, mostly Cape Buffalo I think, as well as some other black horns like from a kudu on a knives. Mostly extending the scroll out into the horn a little bit. As others have noted, it is stringy/fibrous. I would be sure that the face of the graver was sharp and I would cut the face angle down to about 35 so that you got a slower sliding/shearing/cutting action as it went by. And don't cut to deep, you may want to make several passes.

 

[monk]

buffalo horn

Years ago I carved a bit of ivory. I think that it's going to be much different than ivory because they are different materials. Bone is different from ivory (and also from horn) in that ivory are basically teeth. This means that Ivory doesn't have any microscopic blood vessels running through it. Bone does and I would think horn does also.

Horn also has the big difference in that a horn worker can unwrap and peel the horn of in layers, soften it and mold press it, even making it perfectly flat. From what I've read (I've never done it) in Italy a favorite horn for this is water buffalo. In Italy, water buffalo milk is used to make Parmesean cheese, so there's lots of water buffalor around.

While I don't think that a water buffalo is the same critter as the creature that ran around the American plains, I would bet money that both being somewhere in the bovine family (along with Bossy the cow) that their horn wasn't too different.

Bill

if you heat the horn in very hot water for a time it can be formed--to a point, almost as if it were made of plastic. it's fascinating stuff to work with. but i would only work it with rotary tools. although if it were sopping wet and hot, i dont know how it might react.

 

[monk]

try gettin a copy of the buckskinner or blackpowder magazines. you could probably buy a ton of this stuff to practice on for not much money .

 

[Ron Smith]

Naw Monk, That didn't work for me. You have to scratch it's belly and whisper in it's ear, which makes it difficult to concentrate on the engraving.......... Tough job!..........Unless of course you get your lady friend to do that part.......er...ahh.... to the buffalo..... OK,... I take that back....... OK, Forget engraving on buffalos and stick with metal engraving........Ron S

Anyway, it isn't pleasant material to cut with a graver. It can be done by following some of Scotts suggestions, but it tears and is difficult to control because of the grain. Takes a light touch too. Also, put on your frustration fender guards before attempting, as you might be sliding around on it a bit, but I have never tried it with the gravermax..........................OK,.......Wher's that buffalo!!....