# Buffalo horn caps - first effort



## firie000 (Feb 17, 2014)

I have just completed a stick (Eucalypt of some kind) with spiral hitching and Turks heads.

The horn cap was easier that I thought especially with a belt sander to shape it.

I glued the horn on first with some 3/8 threaded rod and then did fine shaping on the belt sander.

Finally sanded with very fine sandpaper and sprayed with a clear sealer. the sealer gave a nice shine.


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

Looks great, nice job. Rap and turks head look good also.


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

Worked well, good job.,very good polish


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## MJC4 (Mar 6, 2014)

Good looking work, I too like the wrap!


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## MoroCreek (Feb 13, 2014)

This is a really nice looking piece... The horn really shines! I like the wrap.... I'm going to have to learn how to do that!


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

heres something you may be interested in using buffalo horn.A frend gave me the basic shape an i have polished it up .but have decided to keep this one as a interchangable topper so will regrind it and repolish it when it fits the shank.

This is the3rd one i have done ,and find them very comfortable to use











firie000 said:


> I have just completed a stick (Eucalypt of some kind) with spiral hitching and Turks heads.
> 
> The horn cap was easier that I thought especially with a belt sander to shape it.
> 
> ...


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## firie000 (Feb 17, 2014)

Definately interested. What a great job you've done. How much horn is needed? How do you deal with defects?

Attached (I hope!) is my first effort at cap on antler. You can just see a defect which i don't think matters on a small object even adds character!

Have you ever made a horn collar?

Cheers

Mick

[sharedmedia=gallery:albums:54]


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## firie000 (Feb 17, 2014)

Definately interested. What a great job you've done. How much horn is needed? How do you deal with defects?

Attached (I hope!) is my first effort at cap on antler. You can just see a defect which i don't think matters on a small object even adds character!

Have you ever made a horn collar?

Cheers

Mick


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

The buffalo horn was a gift from a friend ,but there pretty cheap to buy around 7 english pounds on ebay uk.
I think a old guy makes them for fun. barley covers his cost i would have thought.
you may also be interested in this have posted them before but you may not have seem them.
there made by some of the club members i attend from the lincolnshire sticmaers.,most of the people work with rams and buffalo horn,think theres only two of us do carving.
There made in the traditional manner its been used for over a couple hundred years .
The club is pretty good at helping people and we have some of the beat makers in the country including british and international champions.They also run workshops mainly on shaping/carving horn but teach people how to straighten sticks.as well
I would have thought there would be simular clubs over there due to the amout of livestock farming
There pretty easy to manipulate as horn is made from the same stuff as finger nails
I have used of cuts of the stuff to make intials and horoscope signs to fix on shanks, but fancy carving from horn simular to the carvings i already do to see what could be achieved
Personnaly i dont think you cant beat a hiking pole like these have not seen any quality sticks to match them, hopefully someone will disagree lol it always generates interest , as tatse vary so much
most are made from rams horn and buffalo the thumb stick is from a fruit wood i think


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

I just use a coarse wood rasp to get the baisc shape the a finer one then on to a fine sanding paper before buffing it up with a polishing compound
I will try to find some photos of the block of horn it came from it will give you a better idea.its easy to cut/carve its only made from the same stuff as finger nails,
It is also easy to use on the rotary tools
Bone however is a lot harder the thumb stck picture has a camel bone collar its hard but can be used in a simular way with files
Just use your judgement on the defect ask your self will it polish out without removing to much horn? and do you think it detracts from you goal, then decide


firie000 said:


> Definately interested. What a great job you've done. How much horn is needed? How do you deal with defects?
> 
> Attached (I hope!) is my first effort at cap on antler. You can just see a defect which i don't think matters on a small object even adds character!
> 
> ...


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

mick if your interested in working horn try watching "sporting scenes Horn handles plian and fancy on u tube .The video has beeb cut short for some reason but it has the basics there.

Also there is antler carving and buffalo horncarving . Think the buffalo horn carving is the american bison and not the water buffalo whicj is different.The american buffalo horn seems simular to the rams horn , but our american friends may know better, so its hollow inside ,but should be able to bulk it up like rams horn.The water buffalo is a solid horn and is nice to carve and shape,hoping to get some to try carving it at sometime.when it happens i will let you know how i get on with it.

There is also some videos on antler carving both deer and moose

Thers loads on stick making but most americans just deal with wood spirits, some good some bad, think that some you see on this site are just as good.as any.

But the basic method of bioling the horn should work with all of them.


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