Goat horn for knife hilt

[madbrad]

Has anyone heard of or used goat horn for thier knives. I have a friend with a goat farm (go ahead make the goat jokes). But there is always a supply of goats that have expired and thier horns are available.

 

[Black Hand]

I think goat horn scales would look great with iron pins. The texture would make the handle more "non-slip".

 

[fatboy]

I dont see why not I think they would look nice, they make some pretty nice priming horns too for your bag

 

[Norskie]

Goat horns are often used as cane handles. They work well for that purpose, so probably would be great as a knife haft.

 

[bezoar]

I raise goats and have to add my two cents here fellas. From my own experience it would be a waste of time and a waste of material if you tried to make a goat horn handle.
A goat horn is NOT like DEER ANTLER. A goats horn is a growth of bone projecting from a bone plate in the goats head. The projection of bone is covered in a material identical to the human finger nail.

THis material is slippery, espescially when the goats horn is wet and does not want to do what you want it to do. And when the animal is dead this horn coering starts breaking down rather quickly. After a few months of decomposition, the fingernail covering on the bone slides off, and is extremely fragile, your 4 year old neice could crush it without trying.

 

[Joel Lehman]

I made a priming horn out of a Spanish goat horn. It works fine. It would be too thin and fragile for a knife handle.

 

[Bountyhunter]

Several custom knife makers use goat and sheeps horn. Ed Fowler comes to mind first and foremost.

 

[shmrck1]

Bezoar,
Thanks for that information....I sure
didn't know that. Always best to go to the
experts.
snake-eyes :bow:

 

My dad has a goat horn handle on his patch knife as well as a little priming horn made from goat horn in his shooting bag. However, these are from mountain goat, not domestic goats. The difference between "horn" and "antler" is that horns are all as bezoar describes, basically a sheath made up of the same material as finger nails (and hair) over a bone pedestal whereas antler is solid bone and is shed annually. With only one exception, horns are not shed. The one axception is the pronghorn (antelope), the only animal in the world that sheds horns. If you want to make a knife handle out of domestic goat horn, you could make a brass plate larger than the opening on the horn, drill a hole or file a slot to fit the shaft on the knife (that hold the handle) then slide the brass plate onto the knife, fill the horn with some kind of epoxy and put it on the knife being carefull to hold it tight against the brass plate and centered where you want it until it cures. Then just dress the brass plate down to the contour of the horn base and you have a handle.

Cody

 

[Bountyhunter]

http://www.primoknives.com/fowler.html[url] http://www.edfowler.com/[/url]
Some pictures of horn handles from Ed's knives.

 

[madbrad]

Thanks all for your imput. It sounds to me that I could make a handle out of goat horn but I would have alot more work involved to make it functional and I would have to be carefull with it(which I can't) . oh well twas just a thought. Thanks again

 

[Black Hand]

I think it would be no more labor intensive or difficult to use goat horn as it would be to use cow horn. Horn scales will be perfectly functional, and can be seen on many knives today. The ultimate test would be to try it yourself, and see how it turns out. You may be pleasantly surprised..............

 

[madbrad]

I guess you are right the only thing I will be out is time, since the horns are free.