# Cow Horn Handle



## LilysDad (Sep 25, 2014)

I want to make a stick with a cow horn handle. The type where the horn is fastened parallel to the stick and a wooden plug is put in the end.

Has anyone made one of these? How did you fasten it to the stick? I'm afraid that the horn is too thin. Also, how do you polish the horn?


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## Travis (Oct 17, 2017)

I haven't made a cow horn handle like you have described but I have polished my share of it. Depending on how rough it is, start with course sandpaper or a file. Work it with finer and finer sandpaper to 600 grit then switch to rubbing compound on a rag and elbow grease or a cloth polishing wheel.

The cow horn knob handles I've made I filled them with fiber glass resin or a combination of fiber glass resin and wood dust.


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## LilysDad (Sep 25, 2014)

Yes, the two on the right in the picture are exactly what I mean. Did you fill them completely?


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

One of the great things about this group members share how to's I had saved this for future use. Gloops did a post on this. http://walkingstickforum.com/topic/1450-cow-horn-handled-stick-follow-up-to-countersinking-bucks-topic/


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## Travis (Oct 17, 2017)

LilysDad said:


> Yes, the two on the right in the picture are exactly what I mean. Did you fill them completely?


Before filling, I sanded the bottom of the horn and the slightly oversized top of the shank with a sanding block so they will sit flush. Then put a threaded rod in the stick coating the part of the rod going into the shank with epoxy to make it secure. I also drilled two small holes in the top of the shank to give the resin something to "hold on to". Not sure if that does any good but it made me feel more confident. I put the horn over the rod and use painters tape to hold it on and to keep any resin from seeping out when I fill from the top. I'm not 100% sure but I think it's better to not fill it all the way in one pour so the resin sets up all the way through.

I filled one of them to the top with fiber glass resin and the other with a mix of resin and saw dust being sure not to over fill. I have used a dowl and wood glue to attach the wood cap. On another stick I have also counter sinked a large wood screw from the top and inlayed a stone to fill the hole.

I attached the cap oversized then rasped, filed, and sanded to shape. I put tape around the top and bottom of the horn to protect it when shaping the wood to the same size of the horn. If the horn gets nicked just sand and polish till the scratch is gone. Before attaching the cap I sanded the top of the horn and the bottom of the cap with a sanding block so they will sit flush.

The next one I make like this I might let the threaded rod stick out the top of the horn and use that as the dowl to attach the wood cap. All this has been trial and err on my part. I made these before finding the forum so I will be following this and hopfully will learn a better way or confirm what I did was right.


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