# Using horn



## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

I have a number of goat horns that I have kept when I have had goats butchered. I want to use them for "something" but have no idea how to go about it.

One of my "visitors" at the fayre yesterday was suggesting the ends for English longbows, and walking stick tops.

I had more in mind cutting lozenge shapes and making keyrings or something like that.

Does anyone know how you polish horn? Would I need to get a stone polisher? Or is it a hand process? 

All ideas or information greatfully received 

TIA

hoggie


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

I bet the walking sticks would be a big hit at places like Ren Fairs, if you could pair the horn with some great wooden sticks.

I think the keyring pieces would be more work than profit. However making handmade horn buttons, might be something to sell for knitted sweaters or ponchos. You could make them in some traditional sizes and shapes, take orders for specialty buttons.

So far as I know, you can polish horn with some of those new fiber wheels, that are very abrasive. They come in various "harshness" catagories" so start with coarse, work to fine on your buffing wheel. They probably will polish quickly, so don't put holes in the horn!

Try polishing horns wet and dry, see if it works better one way or the other. A jigsaw with the thin blades, or thin bandsaw, might be your easiest way to cut horn into small shapes.
Wetted, the horn might be flattened out with weight on top. That is what we did with cattle horns to flatten them.

Horn is an interesting medium to work with, lots of things to do with it. Never heard of the bow ends, but probably a handy device back when folks made bows themselves. Saved wear on that wood tip. Not sure what glue would work best to keep them in place these days. Keep us posted on how things go!!


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

Thanks - will look into the buttons, they sound like a neat idea 

I do like the sound of the walking sticks - just need to plant some ash for coppice to have the sticks to make them with 

I'll have to look into the polishing wheel - not sure where to get something like that - but I'll have a look 

The guy that was chatting to me is a longbow enthusiast and he started the conversation by asking if I had any hides for sale as apparently they make their quivers out of them Unfortunately I only have uncured ones in the freezer still waiting for me to find a source for the chemicals and try curing them. But I told him I would work on it before next summer  Then he went on to ask about the horns as well


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

Husband gets his abrasive material at the local Industrial Supply store. Wheels have material that looks like the no-scratch scrubbies for pans. Again, they come in various coarse sizes. He likes them for polishing things without needing polish compounds, like steel tools. Kind of "gently abrasive" without worry of grinding off metal you need! They work well on other stuff too. Just have to experiment to find the kind you need. A powered wheel polishes SO MUCH faster than anything you do by hand!

The Renaissance Fairs held in places often are a good market for such unique products, horn comb, hairpins, spoon or toggle buttons. I an pretty sure the buttonhole wasn't invented until about 1600. You might want to find a source of cattle horn if this turns into a lot of fun for you!

Others wanting buttons might be the folks doing Fur Trader, Revolutionary, Civil War, re-enactments. Horn items were common then among farm folks, those living out on the frontier in their time periods.


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## happychick (Sep 20, 2010)

goodhors said:


> Others wanting buttons might be the folks doing Fur Trader, Revolutionary, Civil War, re-enactments. Horn items were common then among farm folks, those living out on the frontier in their time periods.


I'm one of those folks...Buttons, horn cups if your goat horns are big enough, etc...


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I know this is an older thread but thought I'd share.

I used to take deer antlers, and slice them into buttons, then hollow them out, and take crushed turquoise and or red coral and set it in the middle with a clear resin. Sand down using finer sizes of sand paper, then polish... you can use very fine sand paper, say like 1000 grit or 1600 grit and wet sand them, then use a buffing wheel with a hard paste wax.

I'd then glue on post backs, or add hanger wires and sell them as ear rings.. I was surprised at how well liked they were. 

I've also done some wire wrapping with them.. Slice them long ways from the tip down and size as you like, and either inlay or similar and wrap for a broach or necklace.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

I have a necklace made from sliced deer horn...love it...


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

simi, those sound beautiful! Do you have any pics?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Sadly I don't Tinker.. I used to have some on an old computer, but I have no clue what I did with the drive out of it... I'm hoping when I get started clearing out to get ready to move I'll find that drive, because I had a LOT of pictures on it of a lot of other things I used to make..


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

I have made a couple of powder horns from cow or steer horns and would like to give a word of caution at this point - If you are sanding or even polishing horn wear a respirator or at least a dust mask. You don't want to be breathing that stuff. Horn shapes pretty good after boiling for awhile. I made some patch lube holders out of Goat horn and it's pretty easy to work with.


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## opalcab (May 16, 2011)

Anyone have any horn for sale ?
I need some for a knife handle Please contact me @
[email protected]
Thank you 
Stan


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## Frenchy (Sep 28, 2005)

_not sure of the size of the horn you have ......... but I once used a buffalo horn mounted on top of a deer antler pinned in place between the forks with the curve side of the horn down and buckskin lace an beads an feathers used as a wrap around top opening of horn and a glass candle sconce down inside the horn for a table top candle piece ......... maybe you can make something like that ........._


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## HOTW (Jul 3, 2007)

Hairtoys for long haired women!!! Hari combs, hair sticks all sortsof things even combs you brush with


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## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

I've never used Goat horn for anything, nor any other domestic animal horn for that matter, but we often use the Ivory from Elk and the horn from other antlered animals to make bow tips. It prolongs the use of the bow and provides a firm seat for the bowstring. They are surprisingly easy to make as well. We cut ours to a rough shape with a scroll saw, then shape them with a razor knife and dremell tool. They polish up nicely in the process with the help of a buffing wheel attachment on the dremell. You can use the same shaping process to create pretty much whatever your mind can think of. 

You mentioned that you have some green hides in the freezer waiting to learn more about tanning ..... This is something I do on a frequent basis. I tan aprox 30 coyotes and at least 4 or 5 other types of animals that are given to me by friends every year. Right now, I have a raccoon, 2 coyotes, 2 skunks, and an all black fox in the brine. I make my own for pennies on the dollar of buying it, but with the amount of work involved in the hides, anything bigger than a coyote gets sent to the tannery. I am even considering sending in all my yotes. Each yote takes aprox 15 hours of labor to tan, and it costs about $30 to have it done at the tannery, this means I am only making $2 an hour for my time. Where I sell the hides as finished products (such as coats and hats) I make some of this back, but it is not a very profitable venture. I better like you a lot to sell you one of my coyote coats at a decent price! 

If you are still interested, let me know what kind of hides you are wanting to tan, and I'll work up a tutorial for the site that will help you the est way I know... and who knows, there may be some others on the site who have experience with it and can share.


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## goodshephrd (Feb 21, 2010)

That would be great! I'd like to try tanning a deer skin.


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## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

While it is a very long process, and there are many details to include, I have started that "tutorial"here.


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