Carving antlers

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Craig,
Drawing can be harder than carving or scrimshaw, as there is not much resistance with a pencil, but when a graver is used, you can lean on it a bit and it steadies things up.

Hope this helps my friend!
Craig,
Richard is absolutely correct about the execution of the Carving or Scrimshaw. Think about using tools that were used for Netsuke Carving they are very handy. These are a couple of examples. They give you the feel of a period work of art.
Hank
 

Attachments

  • 20231231_094947.jpg
    20231231_094947.jpg
    2.7 MB
Craig,
Richard is absolutely correct about the execution of the Carving or Scrimshaw. Think about using tools that were used for Netsuke Carving they are very handy. These are a couple of examples. They give you the feel of a period work of art.
Hank
I think I will. Have quite a few gravers, sharpened for metal work, but I have a hard time with that. My Amish n Mennonite friends prob have plenty of practice material.

And Mr. Bundook can offer advice! Gonna have to get him a cup of coffee or something.
 
Last edited:
Craig I wish you the very best in your neck surgery. I had that surgery a few years ago. What I had the misfortune of is my body reacted to the titanium. Ended up with a very nasty skin allergy to it. Dr. said it happens but only in extreme cases. Always knew I was weird.
Wish you the best..
 
Howdy folks:
I never claimed to be a carver, but here's something I tried yesterday just on a whim. It's not great, and I'm certainly NO carver, but I was curious as to whether I could get close, so I had to try? I had some scrap pieces of Elk antler and this is where I went?
I've had a few critiques and they were pretty much what I figured, "keep after it, you'll get there."
Any suggestions? I don't plan of doing this again. this was a one time thing. It's a 70 grain measure for an ex-student of mine who's getting into BP.
I made him a ball starter, a 5 hole ball block and this. I'm hoping to get on the track of traditional long rifles? He has a .50 cal. Hawken flint right now. I hope that'll change? Thank you.
God bless:
Two Feathers
 

Attachments

  • Rattlesnake rattle 70 gr. measure 001.JPG
    Rattlesnake rattle 70 gr. measure 001.JPG
    378.6 KB
  • Rattlesnake rattle 70 gr. measure 002.JPG
    Rattlesnake rattle 70 gr. measure 002.JPG
    369 KB
  • Rattlesnake rattle 70 gr. measure 003.JPG
    Rattlesnake rattle 70 gr. measure 003.JPG
    262.9 KB
Surgery went well, guys - but OH MY LORD! After pains are outta this world! And they aren't from where my throat got sliced into, but the odd positions this $&*)%#**^ neck brace pushes me into. And where the brace sits against my hair itches like poison ivy!

Surgeon guy put in two plates, using 6 screws. His after-surgery report was greatly detailed, i.e., "Patient lost approximately 30 ml of blood".

Six weeks of wearing this millstone around my neck is going to make me totally insane. I had been hoping to stay at the 50% level!

I had a nice small light gray/black horn that I was making into a primer horn. It was starting to look good - until this one-year-old Siberian Husky grabbed it off my workbench. I've lost track of the number of items he's made off with. Cruising the back porch and yard often leads to new discoveries. And he thinks nothing of leaping over my Service Dog, Sunny Girl. He IS quite loveable, I'm hoping for deep snow to slow him down a bit. Currently a mix of snow and rain, 33 degrees.

Going to raise my workbenches about two feet, and get me some stilts!
 
Surgery went well, guys - but OH MY LORD! After pains are outta this world! And they aren't from where my throat got sliced into, but the odd positions this $&*)%#**^ neck brace pushes me into. And where the brace sits against my hair itches like poison ivy!

Surgeon guy put in two plates, using 6 screws. His after-surgery report was greatly detailed, i.e., "Patient lost approximately 30 ml of blood".

Six weeks of wearing this millstone around my neck is going to make me totally insane. I had been hoping to stay at the 50% level!

I had a nice small light gray/black horn that I was making into a primer horn. It was starting to look good - until this one-year-old Siberian Husky grabbed it off my workbench. I've lost track of the number of items he's made off with. Cruising the back porch and yard often leads to new discoveries. And he thinks nothing of leaping over my Service Dog, Sunny Girl. He IS quite loveable, I'm hoping for deep snow to slow him down a bit. Currently a mix of snow and rain, 33 degrees.

Going to raise my workbenches about two feet, and get me some stilts!
Greetings Craig,
I'm glad your surgery went fine, now it's what we use to say "Tincture of Time" now. The thing that helps in all of our projects is adequate holding. This is a Holding Device I made for the Antler Flask. I'm just presenting it as a concept. It depends on the shape of what you're thinking of carving or Scrimshawing. Simple turnbuckles, scrap of hardwood, some leather, and you're in buisness. Now as Richard said, you can put a little force behind your gravers.
Have fun, Hank
 

Attachments

  • 20240109_161344.jpg
    20240109_161344.jpg
    1.4 MB
  • 20240109_161254.jpg
    20240109_161254.jpg
    1.3 MB
  • 20240109_161303.jpg
    20240109_161303.jpg
    1.4 MB
  • 20240109_161357.jpg
    20240109_161357.jpg
    1.5 MB
Greetings Craig,
I'm glad your surgery went fine, now it's what we use to say "Tincture of Time" now. The thing that helps in all of our projects is adequate holding. This is a Holding Device I made for the Antler Flask. I'm just presenting it as a concept. It depends on the shape of what you're thinking of carving or Scrimshawing. Simple turnbuckles, scrap of hardwood, some leather, and you're in buisness. Now as Richard said, you can put a little force behind your gravers.
Have fun, Hank
Thanks, Hank! Quick and easy hold-downs!!

Now, can you stop the growth of my beard underneath this nasty collar? Can't shave for 7-10 dayss, until incision is closed. I T C H Y !!
 
Craig,
Hopefully everything will turn out alright with your surgery. Just left your body take it’s own time to heal. I had neck surgery about ten years ago. Very satisfied with it. Plus, I can tell you now when the weather is changing….:cool:
 
This verdammt cervical collar is fixin' ta put me in an early grave! Cain't sleep with it on unless you sleep flat on yer back - I'm a side-sleeper, where the unGodly creation puts a crick in ya neck an' an awfull pain in the shoulder.

Additionally. I wuz tole ta NOT SHAVE for the SIX WEEKS! And this dad-gummit thang is a-causin me ta itch - an' when ya itch, ya gotta scratch - but no room for fingers or forks or NUTTIN ta fit in there!

In a week, here in O-hi-ho, the lows will be in the single digits for a week. How's that for a forecast?
 
Howdy folks:
I never claimed to be a carver, but here's something I tried yesterday just on a whim. It's not great, and I'm certainly NO carver, but I was curious as to whether I could get close, so I had to try? I had some scrap pieces of Elk antler and this is where I went?
I've had a few critiques and they were pretty much what I figured, "keep after it, you'll get there."
Any suggestions? I don't plan of doing this again. this was a one time thing. It's a 70 grain measure for an ex-student of mine who's getting into BP.
I made him a ball starter, a 5 hole ball block and this. I'm hoping to get on the track of traditional long rifles? He has a .50 cal. Hawken flint right now. I hope that'll change? Thank you.
God bless:
Two Feathers
I kept the antlers of a monster elk I killed years ago. The big bull was older and had been running hard just before I took the shot. The meat was awful. But I made a few powder measures with all that antler material. Yours are very nice, mine usable. But certainly not worth the money I paid for the trip to CO, the tags, and the price I paid for processing the inedible meat.
 
Back
Top