I want to use some cow leg bone for some knife handles. It's been laying around here, out in the sun etc, over a year..
It still has fat or grease present. Some of my hide tanning books say to soak in gasoline to degrease coons and such.
Always sounded a little harsh to me. Would gas degrease bone? Any ideas? Thanks

I would clean as well as possible, cut to size and put in in a dry box about a week before doing anything. I degrease everything before a glue up with Acetone. Wear a mask messing with grinding or sanding any biological material.

After you know your bone is dry,I would rub super glue on it to seal the surface,and then sand and polish. I have gotten good results with polished Elk horn handles done like that. I buff with white jewelers rouge. A lot of buffing will give an attractive look of depth to the finish with Elk.

R H Clark, Thanks for the tips. I use alot of Axis antler and small deer leg-bones for patch-knives.
If I can get the bone dry. it will make a nice alternative to antler and mesquite. Thanks again.

For fresh leg bones, I usually boil in water for a while to get the fat, etc out.
Just hot enough for a few bubbles. If the bone is going to crack, it should happen here and not on knife.

For all organic handle materials, I also soak them in a wood stabilizer when well dried out.

Tim

I would be interested in what stabilizer you use ,if you care to share.

I use this on bone, antler, wood, ivory, etc. Anything organic unless it has already been pressure stabilized.

Nelsonite Chemical Products, Inc.
Grand Rapids, MI
Scott Knutson, Pres.

[email protected]

616-456-7098

Product is 30B02
It is a stablilizer to control dimensions, but not a filler.

I soak materials for an hour or so, then let dry for 3 days or so.
Tim

Thanks for the replies guys, I dried the bone and it warped out of proportion. I'll scrap it and try another one later.