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