Bone handles

[philip in china]

Does any body have any advice on making bone handles for knives please?

[junker]

i made 1 on my first knife so the quality ain't great, but soak the bone ur using in bleach for about a week, then sit it in the sun to dry off for about a day. do not towel the bone dry or anything, just straight from bleach to sun. then i used muratic acid to eat the inside of the bone away, then i took a file roughly the same size as the tang of my knife and enlarged the inside of the bone to fit. drill a hole for a pine through knife and bone. then get some clear spray laquer and well spray it on lol. then put the hole in the bone about 1/4 full of epoxy, press onto handle, and slide pin in place. be carefull and make sure that you've widened the hole enough with the file beforehand or the bone will split. also you're gonna have to use atleast 6 coats of laquer (atleast when i did it) because the bone soaks it into it'self (same with some of the epoxy on the inside) luckily this makes it less fragile though and it stands up nicely to use (even if u split it )

[pkrankow]

Junker, what type of bone did you use?
Phil

[junker]

upper bone from front leg of a Florida deer (kinda small Florida deer are tiny) worked for my knife cause it was also small. but i've heard of people using a cow femur for the handle of a sword with the same technique.

[junker]

i didn't actually put a pin in mine but hind sight is 20/20 and all

[Mainely,Bob]

If using the bone as scales rather than a full round handle I usually treat with water thin CA glue to make it more durable as it can be very porous and will soak up whatever it comes in contact with from oils from your skin to any other oils or stains.The CA glue acts to both seal and strengthen the bone.
I`ve also found that bone can split much like wood can and it pays to treat it like wood by way of paying attention to grain direction and fitment of hardware.If a bolt,pin or rivet would split wood if used inappropriately or overtightened it will probably do the same with bone.
Some like the stark whiteness of bleached bone and the CA glue can help keep bone white for a short time.It has been my experience that all bone will change color and become more ivory color or yellow more with age.I prefer to boil bone to keep the more natural look right from the start.Boiling is a straight forward process,unlike using strong chemicals like bleach or acid which may require an additional step or two to neutralize that chemical after use.You may gain time but you add more steps and processes.It`s all a matter of choice and visual effects,IMO.
I`ve found working with scrapers rather than edged tools like chisels or shaves to be more enjoyable.I rough cut with a saw and then scrape,polish,finish and seal.I personally like to keep sanding to a minimum.

Any more info on what you plan to make?

[Dodge]

On the advice of Jim Jim Hrisoulas (JPH), I used TSP (trisodium phosphate) a cleaning and degreasing agent available at most hardware or big box home improvement centers. Just a table spoon or two in a gallon of water and boil for an hour. It will remove fat, grease and gristle; everything! So, don't do this on your wife's stove lest you be refinishing her cabinets above. (DAMHIK) Also, use an old pot that you will never cook in again. The missus got a new stock pot out of this deal, as well!
Wash in soapy water and rinse til clear and then dry thoroughly. You'll get a powdery layer that needs to be sanded off but you get a very nice silky ivory like finish. In fact, it is so ivory like that Dr Hrisoulas coined the phrase, "bovine ivory". I just put paste wax on my handle after the final sanding. Two years and its still looking good!

Bone Handle

Safety note on working with bone:
When sawing, grinding, sanding, or anything that makes bone dust, WEAR A RESPIRATOR!! Bone dust is tiny sharp shards of bone that can lodge in the membranes of your lungs. From there, infection can set in and the result isn't pretty. Also, expect a nasty "smell of death" when working with bone.

Bone is a great handle material that seems inexpensive on surface. If done right, it is a beautiful material and even takes a stain well. However, it can be a PITA to get it to that stage.
That will be two cents please
Scott

[MattBower]

A lot of folks prefer hydrogen peroxide for bleaching bone, as it's less destructive and easier to get out of the bone than chlorine bleach.

[ThomasPowers]

Dodge is right on the money! Pay attention to the safety aspects he mentions too!

Bone can be carved like a hard and brittle wood with chisels or rotary tools---watch the dust for power tools! I made some small chisels to carve simple knotwork on a handle using the square cut masonry nails.

[junker]

the peroxide is a good idea. i hadn't thought of that. ill try it next time i work on bone. when i did it i was kinda making it up as i went. worked ok though ;)

[golgotha forge & anvil]

I don't want to sound too stupid...but what exactly is CA glue please?

If using the bone as scales rather than a full round handle I usually treat with water thin CA glue to make it more durable as it can be very porous and will soak up whatever it comes in contact with from oils from your skin to any other oils or stains.The CA glue acts to both seal and strengthen the bone.
I`ve also found that bone can split much like wood can and it pays to treat it like wood by way of paying attention to grain direction and fitment of hardware.If a bolt,pin or rivet would split wood if used inappropriately or overtightened it will probably do the same with bone.
Some like the stark whiteness of bleached bone and the CA glue can help keep bone white for a short time.It has been my experience that all bone will change color and become more ivory color or yellow more with age.I prefer to boil bone to keep the more natural look right from the start.Boiling is a straight forward process,unlike using strong chemicals like bleach or acid which may require an additional step or two to neutralize that chemical after use.You may gain time but you add more steps and processes.It`s all a matter of choice and visual effects,IMO.
I`ve found working with scrapers rather than edged tools like chisels or shaves to be more enjoyable.I rough cut with a saw and then scrape,polish,finish and seal.I personally like to keep sanding to a minimum.

Any more info on what you plan to make?

[MattBower]

I don't want to sound too stupid...but what exactly is CA glue please?

Cyanoacrylate, a.k.a. Super Glue.