Impala Horn - Advice Please

[Chas]

Hello All,

I have recently acquired 5 pieces of Impala horn:



The top 3 are thin walled but become solid halfway to the tip. The bottom 2 are more ornate with greater detail but are over 1/2 inch thick.

I got them with the intention of making a set of buttons. Before I started to hack them about and possibly make some costly mistakes, I had a brainwave. Why not ask the XMarkers - there must be dozens if not hundreds of members who work with impala horn (or at least some kind of horn) on a daily basis.

I know practically nothing (well, nothing) about working with horn so I have a few questions and am open to any suggestions.

Firstly, it would be easier to work with flat surfaces, so is it possible to open the tube out and press it flatish?

Some of the horn is a bit brittle. Is there some way to protect the finished product?

I have a Dremel and all the normal household tools. Are there any other or specialist tools that I need?

Any advice would be welcome.

Regards

Chas

[TheSp8]

How large a button are you wanting to make? I've not worked Impala horn before so I have no advice particular to that type horn. I've always just used a small saw, like a coping saw, a knife, and sand paper. I'm sure there are more competent horn smiths around than me though. Good Luck.

YMOS,
Tony

[ender103601]

i would love the top 3 for sgian dubh handles especially the last one.

[budd4766]

They'd make a heck of a walking stick topper too. (thinking the center one). Or the bottom half of the top one would be a cool knife handle...fill it with resin of some sort and put a crest on the "butt". Lots of possibilities there.

On working the stuff, I don't know if I can help you much on making buttons. But I have heard you really need a good dust mask when working horn...that's dangerous stuff to breath in.

Looking forward to seeing what you wind up with out of those.

[george7]

I'm going to throw another vote for walking sticks. The last ones look like a great grip section of the stick.

[hospitaller]

oh no.....

Impala was the name of my Boy Scout's patrol.

I can't say I like seeing these disembodied horns, but a beauty they are and I'd also go with a walking stick handle for the bottom ones.

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Heat makes horn pliable. Horn is after all modified hair

With a good degree of patience, you could probably get one flat

[Donnie]

If I'm not mistaken, you can boil the horn a little while and it will become pliable. I looked up making horn spoons a long time ago. I am reasonably sure that it will work.

[Howard Clark]

Flattening horn is possible. Chelsea (Squeaky M) is correct about the heat. Use LOW heat, like no more than boiling water temperature. I have not tried to flatten impala, and always used it the shape it is naturally. But other specie of horns flatten out fine, I see no reason for this to be much different. You can boil it to flatten it, but then drying it back out without cracking can be problematic sometimes. I would suggest dry heat, like the lowest setting on your oven. It may (WILL) smell the place up a bit, be forewarned.

Buffalo horn would be easier to deal with in flats already. Lots of horn buttons are made from the tip cross sections where it is solid.

Don't get it real hot working it with a belt sander (or drum/burr in the dremel). It stinks but it is not particularly hazardous whilst working it.

Antler would be more traditional as a highland button material (I think), but horn is nice too. It (Impala horn) really makes a very nice knife handle, if the curve suits the design of the knife. The ridges make lovely finger grooves in the right application, and what that is, is entirely up to the taste of the maker. Enjoy.

[Chas]

Hello All,

Sorry that it has taken so long for me to up-date this. My internet service provider (Orange) has 'improved' our service so much that I don't get more than 8 to 10 minutes on line before it cuts out. Then there could be 20 minutes to half an hour before it all comes back. When I want to post now, have to compose off-line in Word and then when I am back on line, copy, paste and post as quick as possible. They tell me, it is my fault for living in the forest.

Anyway.

The top horn is going to be made into a crook handle for a cromach (sp?). It is longer than the 13 1/2 inches in the photo - the camera angle is wrong. It should be long enough to give a reasonable sized hook with a small return. If the return looks too stupid then I will continue the curve in-wards rather than out-wards. Thanks Squeaky McMurdo, Donnie and Howard for the tips about heating. I have a small bachelor style table-top cooker that I am setting up in the garden (I have been forbidden the use of the kitchen). I have experimented with boiling with some success - thats what got me banned from the kitchen. I have a nice straight 8ft piece of silver birch drying out as we speak, but also have a lovely piece of maple, just crying out to be used. Decisions, decisions. They both won't be usable till late Autumn/Winter anyway, so I don't have to rush into this.

As for the rest...

I want the buttons to be for an Argyle or a Crail. So that is: 3 for each cuff and 3 for each pocket flap and 2 for the epaulettes, making 14 at 3/4" and then 2 for the closure at 1".

My thoughts were either:

Heat and flatten the pointed upper horns because they are very much thinner than the others.

OR

Cut a ~3/4" section from the lower horn and from the resulting 'barrel', cut into 3 'wedges'. The outer side would be a rough square of outer horn and the other two sides would be the sides I just cut (does this make sense to anybody?). The square would be rounded off and the bulk (maybe up to 1/2") would be reduced to no more than 1/8". Two holes drilled and the button is complete. I would of course have to do the same 5 times over to get all the buttons I need and another at 1" for the closures.

There are advantages and disadvantages. The thinner horns would be easier to work, but lack any real detail and could look rather uninteresting. The thicker horn will be harder to work but has greater detail. As well, with the thicker horn, each button will be unique.

You will notice the finish of the horns. Each has been washed. Number 3 and number 5 have a nice lustre whereas 1, 2 and 4 are quite dull. Is there any finish that one can apply to bring up a bit of a shine? Should they be varnished or just polished with a high bees-wax polish? I want to both preserve the horn and bring out the grain.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Regards

Chas