Patch Knife Project

[WAR EAGLE]

Greetings to All. I am attempting to build my first patch knife. I am using a deer shed horn and making up my own blade. The question I have is,the shed horn has bleached out chalky white and I am hoping there is something I can do to bring back some of the brown color to it. I have heard you might try shoe polish, but not sure. Thanks in advance.

 

[BillinOregon]

War Eagle: That might work. Another thing to consider is simply thrashing the antler around in the brush, which is how the deer stain their antlers in the first place: a little dirt, a little pitch, rub hard ...

 

[Goldhunter]

Feibings leather dye works very well. So does Potassium Permangenate (which is an oxidizer). The latter you can get from Log Cabin.

 

[RonT]

You might also try McD's coffee...let the antler soak for a couple days and see if you get color.
R

 

[BlackNet]

uhm why McD's coffee? Coffee by nature will stain teeth. Unless McD puts something in their coffee besides coffee....

Ed

 

[Goldhunter]

It's McD's, nuff said. :grin: :rotf:

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu can use tea to color the horn, too. If you want a light brown/orange color, put some spruce needles in hot water and boil and then put the horn in that mix to steep. You should get a very light color to the horn, not unlike what you had originally.

Oh, the spruce needles, Rinsed off, make an excellent tea that is a little sweet, and has the flavor or orange to it. It is full of Vitamin C, and the trappers drank it through the winter to avoid scurvy.

 

[Bountyhunter]

If you have a floppy buffing wheel, get on it with some white rouge and polish it. If it isnt too far gone it should polish. Dont use the green, it will stain it and you cant get it out, you might start with some brown tripoli.

 

[RonT]

uhmmm, possibly said that because I get the Senior discount, and am inherantly too cheap to use Starbucks,YOMV.
R

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

This Knife handle was a little Chalky as it had been hanging on a barn for a few years before I used it. I put Neatsfoot oil on it and it has held up quite well. You would want to dye it first.
Jeff

 

[WAR EAGLE]

Thanks for the tip on using coffee I put a small piece of the horn in a cup last night, checked it this morning and it is starting to get a nice color to it. I think I will leave it for another day or two and see what happens. I had not thought of using McDs coffee, I think it might work in two or three hours, some kind of stout stuff.

 

[RonT]

Glad to help. McD's not necessarily stronger, just that I'm che....er...frugal. haha.
R

 

[BlackNet]

so question

if you stain with coffee then when your in the field couldn't you dunk the knife in water then boil it to have coffee flavored water?

sorry, just had to ask

Ed

 

[RonT]

could...., but prolly be weak..with just a hint of patch lube. :grin: