Antler for handle material

[Reverand]

I have looked around online for decent and inexpensive sources of Elk antler for knife handles. Many places on eBay and Etsy sell pieces for dog chews, but I have been hesitant to buy them sight unseen.
But found some beauties at Aldi's today for $7.99
I thought I would share this before they are all gone!

[herbva]

Thanks Reverand! I am also reluctant to buy antlers online and I never thought of looking in Aldi! I'll have to start rummaging through those dog chews!

[cody6268]

Got a few projects on the table, and that looks really good!

A family friend lives near an Aldi's, so I'll have her pick up a few next time she's there.

And I think I've already got a project lined out for it. I've got a little Mora fixed-blade Boy Scout knife with a badly shrunken plastic handle, but it boasts their legendary laminated carbon steel blade. I'm sure this will be a major improvement over chintzy green shrinky-dink synthetic.

[BIGHEAD]

I buy it at petsmart all the time.

[Bushfire]

I'm currently working on a trade with a knife maker, a stags worth if antler for a knife. I get the additional kick from it knowing that a few folks will get enjoyment out of the stag long after me as knives.

[Ripster]

I'm currently working on a trade with a knife maker, a stags worth if antler for a knife. I get the additional kick from it knowing that a few folks will get enjoyment out of the stag long after me as knives.

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Nice looking Antler /stag you have there BF . Please show us the knife if you both make the deal happen!

[OLDE CUTLER]

I scored this pile of stag yesterday at a visit to one of our local custom knife makers that I know. He makes a lot of sets of stag handled steak knives. and cuts a lot of stag slabs. Some are too small, wrong shape, of not colored to his liking, so because he knows I work on folders, he gives these to me. The photo shows at the bottom a few bone slabs, and a couple of ivory.

[herbva]

That man (local knife maker) is a darn good friend to have O.C.!

[OLDE CUTLER]

That man (local knife maker) is a darn good friend to have O.C.!

I think so too. I usually bring him woodworking craft stuff I make to trade.

[Reverand]

I scored this pile of stag yesterday at a visit to one of our local custom knife makers that I know. He makes a lot of sets of stag handled steak knives. and cuts a lot of stag slabs. Some are too small, wrong shape, of not colored to his liking, so because he knows I work on folders, he gives these to me. The photo shows at the bottom a few bone slabs, and a couple of ivory.

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That is some sweet looking stag, OC!

[doglegg]

I scored this pile of stag yesterday at a visit to one of our local custom knife makers that I know. He makes a lot of sets of stag handled steak knives. and cuts a lot of stag slabs. Some are too small, wrong shape, of not colored to his liking, so because he knows I work on folders, he gives these to me. The photo shows at the bottom a few bone slabs, and a couple of ivory.

IMG_5468.JPG

Score OC!!! Can't wait to see them on a knife.

[Bushfire]

Applying potassium permanganate will artificially darken antler, in fact most commercially available antler will have been artificially dyed. It still looks quite natural when done well.

[orvet]

Potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent, very similar to burning, but it will penetrate a little deeper. I use it frequently It will oxidize any organic material, including your skin. I usually use rubber gloves when I'm applying it so my fingers don't turn brown.
I use a rag or Q-tip to apply it It doesn't always apply evenly and sometimes I need to darken small areas of the antler that are harder and don't absorb the pp as well. Experiment with it, you will find the best way to apply it with a little practice.
When the PP crystals are mixed with water, it turns a bright purple color. As soon as it contacts organic material it turns brown. You can somewhat regulate the coloration by the amount of pp you put in the solution.

Making friends with a knife maker is often very helpful. Steve Goddard, is the son of Wayne Goddard and he is carrying on the family tradition of knife making. Wayne was the author of the book $50 Knife Shop. He was very creative and made most of his own equipment. Last year Steve gave me a grocery bag half full of elk stag slabs that his father had cut. They're rough cut and have to be sanded flat on the cut side, but they do make good looking handles. I have a couple projects in the works where I'm using that elk stag. I will share pictures of them when I finished.

[OLDE CUTLER]

Potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent, very similar to burning, but it will penetrate a little deeper. I use it frequently It will oxidize any organic material, including your skin. I usually use rubber gloves when I'm applying it so my fingers don't turn brown.
I use a rag or Q-tip to apply it It doesn't always apply evenly and sometimes I need to darken small areas of the antler that are harder and don't absorb the pp as well. Experiment with it, you will find the best way to apply it with a little practice.
When the PP crystals are mixed with water, it turns a bright purple color. As soon as it contacts organic material it turns brown. You can somewhat regulate the coloration by the amount of pp you put in the solution.

Making friends with a knife maker is often very helpful. Steve Goddard, is the son of Wayne Goddard and he is carrying on the family tradition of knife making. Wayne was the author of the book $50 Knife Shop. He was very creative and made most of his own equipment. Last year Steve gave me a grocery bag half full of elk stag slabs that his father had cut. They're rough cut and have to be sanded flat on the cut side, but they do make good looking handles. I have a couple projects in the works where I'm using that elk stag. I will share pictures of them when I finished.

Dale
What is the original use for potassium permanganate and where can one get it?

[BIGHEAD]

Potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent, very similar to burning, but it will penetrate a little deeper. I use it frequently It will oxidize any organic material, including your skin. I usually use rubber gloves when I'm applying it so my fingers don't turn brown.
I use a rag or Q-tip to apply it It doesn't always apply evenly and sometimes I need to darken small areas of the antler that are harder and don't absorb the pp as well. Experiment with it, you will find the best way to apply it with a little practice.
When the PP crystals are mixed with water, it turns a bright purple color. As soon as it contacts organic material it turns brown. You can somewhat regulate the coloration by the amount of pp you put in the solution.

Making friends with a knife maker is often very helpful. Steve Goddard, is the son of Wayne Goddard and he is carrying on the family tradition of knife making. Wayne was the author of the book $50 Knife Shop. He was very creative and made most of his own equipment. Last year Steve gave me a grocery bag half full of elk stag slabs that his father had cut. They're rough cut and have to be sanded flat on the cut side, but they do make good looking handles. I have a couple projects in the works where I'm using that elk stag. I will share pictures of them when I finished.

Dale
What is the original use for potassium permanganate and where can one get it?

Amazon.
https://www.chemicals.co.uk/blog/what-i ... e-used-for

[luckydog]

Hello, highlight your question "What is the original use for potassium permanganate" and do an internet search. You might be in for a surprise.Hope this helps. luckydog

[orvet]

Dale
What is the original use for potassium permanganate and where can one get it?

The link BIGHEAD posted has a lot of information in it. I know it was used in water treatment but I didn't know how many other uses it had.
I got two bottles of it in Crystal form many years ago from one of our members, Huck. He has since dropped out on the Forum and I haven't heard from him in years. But the two bottles of probably 6 oz each have lasted me probably 15 years and I still have over half of it left. It doesn't take a lot, I just make up a solution and when I'm done using it put it in the bottle. If it dries out I just add water to it and it works quite nicely.

[hardman]

I had a water well that gave me very iron rich water. I had a manganese greensand filter and used potassium permanganate to clean it every couple weeks. It worked well, but stains anything it touches.

[herbva]

I have looked around online for decent and inexpensive sources of Elk antler for knife handles. Many places on eBay and Etsy sell pieces for dog chews, but I have been hesitant to buy them sight unseen.
But found some beauties at Aldi's today for $7.99
I thought I would share this before they are all gone!
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Reverand, I was in Aldi today and looked all over that darn store and couldn't find any dog chews. But, I made a second pass in this aisle where they seem to just conglomerate all sorts of miscellaneous stuff, and bingo, there was was a box of cut up antlers at the top on one shelf. I only saw these 2 pieces that I thought would be suitable for knife scales, but they are beauties and should easily be enough for 2 or more knives. Thanks so much for letting us know about this! I expect that Aldi is going to be wondering why there is suddenly a run on dog chews!