deer bone handles?

[jrbaker90]

I was talking to my local meat locker last month and they told me that I could the fat for free since they Don't use it they throw it away so i was talking to them and they Said that I could get as many deer bone as I wanted so I been thinking about making handle out of some and i been wanting to know what should do with to use able?

 

[LRB]

They need to dried in a shady place for a time. I let mine dry maybe 3 to 4 months. To use as a handle it is best to carve and fit a wood core into them with a good epoxy for extra strength. Then fit to what ever. Deer bone is brittle, so I would not recommend them for heavy duty tools.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Deer bone is brittle

:shocked2: Brittle?
I have only tried using lower leg bone of deer for projects but what I experienced was that it is tougher than a prostitutes attitude. It is used for flint knapping, awls and much more. I have tried turning it and that is a challenging project, fer sure.

 

[LRB]

It is much thinner than cow bone, and thus more brittle. I have never had to replace an antler grip from breakage, but have replaced a few deer leg bones. Compared to antler and most woods, it is brittle. I've seen antler used in knapping, but not bone. Could be, but I just haven't seen it used in that. Oh yes, I have. Saw a guy using fossil manatee bone to break flakes off a nodule, but fossilized bone is different.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It is much thinner than cow bone, and thus more brittle.

I raised cattle for 25 years and will agree, bovine bones are thicker. In some ways probably stronger. But the difference between brittle and strong cannot be defined by that comparision. I should probably add: IMHO :wink: .

 

[Patocazador]

I don't know about the strength of deer bone but it has almost no elasticity and is, indeed, very brittle. I always bone out my deer so the butcher's saw doesn't shatter bone and get it in the burger. A band saw and a deer bone = splinters and chips.

 

[George]

I've never worked with deer bone, so I have nothing useful to offer. I do have a small patch knife with a handle of deer's knee, which was given to me by a friend 30+ years ago, and it has had a fair bit of use, shows little signs of wear.





Spence

 

[Rick Son]

Ask over at cascity.com the cutting edge forum,look for stuff made by Kid terico~

 

[Rifleman1776]

I don't know about the strength of deer bone but it has almost no elasticity

:shocked2:
Wow! That is a statement completely contrary to what believe is true about deer bone. The leg bones, especially, IMHO, are quite elastic. And, I have read, are that way to absorb shock when running and jumping. Now, I would call it more flex resistant than elastic. But, I do know it can take a lot of abuse before breaking. Mebbe Ozark deer develop that characteristic running and jumping on rock than yer tiny Florida deer do on mud. :wink:

 

[BillinOregon]

Spence, that's a handsome little knife, made moreso by the fact that is a long-ago gift from a friend. Blade looks a bit like one of the little Norwegian laminates. Very good stuff.
I keep meaning to work something up using deer bone. I have a chunk of elk leg bone that I think could penetrate a car door as an arrow head.

 

[LRB]

A dried deer leg bone can be shattered with a blow from any hard object, even a hard stick if not reinforced. They are just not thick enough to have much strength when thoroughly died. Also depends on which bone. Upper legs are weaker than lower. When alive the uppers are protected by muscle.

 

[BillinOregon]

Wick, are you talking about your petite little Key deer?

:wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

A dried deer leg bone can be shattered with a blow from any hard object, even a hard stick if not reinforced. They are just not thick enough to have much strength when thoroughly died. Also depends on which bone. Upper legs are weaker than lower. When alive the uppers are protected by muscle.

We must be talking about different critters.
Deer leg bone I have worked with makes hammer cry "uncle". Tough-tough stuff. Yes, upper legs are different, that is because the scapulas are not fixed but are on very tough tendons and they flex up and down much like shock absorbers. Whitetail deer are really very amazing creatures.
:v Fini.

 

[omarick1948]

I think that maybe living deer bone IS more flexible for the living animal, but when the bone is fleshed and dried it seems to me to be somewhat very brittle. I think the application use with smaller patch knives and such, probably is fine, but for larger cutlery. I think that there are better choices for handle materials. I think also, if it works for you...use it! If you have a knife that has lasted for years ... your a lucky person!

Just my 2 cents worth,
Rick

 

[LRB]

I usually hunt west GA near Columbus. I've never seen a key deer 'cept in pictures. The hunting ranches here in FL are producing deer that rival most any others, but they are too expensive for me.

 

[Patocazador]

I've seen a couple of key deer on Big Pine Key in the refuge. One was a 6 point in velvet and wasn't all that small (~ 85-90 lbs).

I shot a deer in the everglades once that only weighed 55 lbs. Most of the deer around here weigh 90-130 lbs. And even Wisconsin deer have brittle bones after death. :grin:

 

[Nifeman]

Here's a little bag knife made by Dan Winkler, that I picked up a few yrs ago. It was made in the late 70's and it held up quite well...Nifeman

 

[Claude Mathis]

A little embarrassing when I look at it now, but this was an Old Hickory blade that I put a deer leg bone on decades ago. It has served me well for many years.

 

[Jaeger]

That's a good-looking knife, Claude. Everything looks PC & HC to me, especially the shape of the blade.

 

[JeffG]

The examples shown using deer bone are outstanding! I did not have good luck with deer bone. I went with hog bone.