Staining old antlers.

[musketman]

You can use coffee, tea, or tobacco. Just let it seep in water.

Couldn't you just spit 'baccy juice on the antler?

Or steep the antler in a spitoon?

 

[Slowpoke]

When I make powder measures out of turkey bones, I use tobacco and alcohol. It seen to work well.

I have no response for musketman.... :shake:

My brand......

 

[RussB]

You can use coffee, tea, or tobacco. Just let it seep in water.

Couldn't you just spit 'baccy juice on the antler?

Or steep the antler in a spitoon?

Baccy is just plain ugly, and nasty, to those who don't use it. I fully understand this, although I do chew.
I don't chew in public, and I certainly don't spit in public. But when me and my dog Buddy are out after the mythical bird know as grouse. I chew and I spit, and my dog approves.
I quit smoking several / many years ago, and although I fully realize that chewing is not a safe alternative, it beats being the kind of feller I was when I put the cigarettes away. I was at a point where breathing was difficult after just a short walk of a mile or so. Now I can beat the bush all day, keep up with dog, and chew if I want to, and spit when ever / where ever I want.

I'm way off topic.....As far as tobacco's staining abilities, I thik it is somewhat over rated. It seems that just about anything will stain linnen, and I think that is where we get some "wrong" impressions on staining abilities.
The Tea showed a bit more promise that anything else I've tried, but it I need to work on the process a bit. (I don't want to have to buy "Earl Grey" but I will before I give up on Tea.) Coffee was a total failure! Hi-Test Columbian stuff. Maybe longer soaks, maybe stronger tea, I should be getting the "old Bones" stuff early next week and the experiment will continue.
It's almost noon here, and my dog is eager to go. If the elusive grouse gets me again this afternoon, I'm going to put 'em on the back burner for a month or so. In the mean time I'm still mad at those little jokers. My dog too!
Russ

 

[Stumpkiller]

The terbakker chaw ain't a bad idea, 'cause then you can get yer knife handle and powder measure to match yer tooth, while it lasts.

I have even used the tea to "spot stain" sections of antler handles where I'd reworked the grip or knocked the eye-spike off a crown section and wanted to match the existing tone. Lay a piece of cloth over the spot and keep it saturated with tea. The black & smoked teas work best for darkening bone & antler, and the blends like Earl Grey just give a nice, aged patina. You adjust it by the length of soak.

I take any turkey thigh my wife pulls out of our crock pot and lop a section out between the bone ends. I soak this in a cup of Earl Grey I then fit a Minwaxed (Provincial) & tung oiled cherry plug and "forge" a loop with twisted "threads" I work into the end out of a piece of wire (visualize the loop end of a forged vent-pick), all stuck together with hide glue. They look OLD. The bone turns out the same shade +/- as the lightly stained cherry. Take a third as long to make as a drilled antler measure.

Man, I wish I had a digital camera.