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18th March 09, 06:32 PM
#1
Home made cromach
Ok I don't have any photo's to post yet but I'm working on that. I'm building a Stag horn cromach for myself. The wood for the shaft and the Stag horn came from my own property.
I'm using a nice hickory sapling for the shaft. I know blackthorn or hazel are the customary wood of choice, but here in the states we do not have those and I'm limited to what I have on my property. Hickory being the hardest wood I have thats what I'll use.
The stag horn I'm using I found while burning brush on my land. It had seven points but I've since cut off three of the tines. One of the tines was forked so I'm going to use that in another staff. probably a hunting staff so the horn fork can be used as a rifle rest.
As soon as I have photo's I'll post my progress.
As of now I'm shaping the horn and I have the hickory shaft lashed to a steel frame to dry straight.
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18th March 09, 08:32 PM
#2
Years ago I recall having seen some very attractive sticks made from carved oak and topped with an entire deer antler. While these were not true cromachs, they were beautiful sticks. The top of the sticks were carved to look like the head of a thistle, with the antler attached at that point. If you happen to have a copy of Neil Grant's book "Scottish Clans and Tartans" there is a photo on page 49 which shows the late chief of the Clan Gordon walking with a stick very similar to the ones I recall seeing, though the antler on that particular example isn't complete.
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19th March 09, 02:15 AM
#3
I'll look into that. I think that what I'm making can't be called a true Cromach. Cromachs are bent enough at the crook so that it can be used to catch lambs. Well since I'm working with Antler bone instead of horn, I can't bend the stag antler to form a proper crook. I'm not sure about the terminology. doesn't really matter I think, folks will know what I'm talking about
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21st March 09, 04:35 PM
#4
Well so far I've been carving the horn with a dremel and a high speed bit. Gotta love the dremel for this, wow does it do a number on horn. You can mess up real fast if your not carefull.
I appologize for not having pics, I don't have a proper camera yet, so I'll do my best to explain what I'm doing. Anyway I'm taking the cut off tines and smoothing those as well, one is going to be the hilt for a sgian dubh that I'll be making. Another tine with be turned into a walking/hunting staff with a fork on the top for ones thumb or to rest a rifle on. the rest of the cast off sections I'm going to turn into horn toggle buttons for some project down the road.
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21st March 09, 07:18 PM
#5
Sounds good. Nice that you are using wood from your own property etc.
I tried to ask my inner curmudgeon before posting, but he sprayed me with the garden hose…
Yes, I have squirrels in my brain…
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22nd March 09, 06:01 PM
#6
I hope you are using at least a dust mask. Antler dust can be toxic.
Last edited by turpin; 22nd March 09 at 06:10 PM.
Convener, Georgia Chapter, House of Gordon (Boss H.O.G.)
Where 4 Scotsmen gather there'll usually be a fifth.
7/5 of the world's population have a difficult time with fractions.
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22nd March 09, 06:07 PM
#7
Yupp, I have several masks I absconded with from the docs office I'm pretty much through with the bad dusty part. The high speed bit I'm using to shape with throws off ships instead of dust.
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