Antler handle, your opinions to dye this shed

[Bowman]

Hello Everyone

I found a Mulie Antler shed recently that I am using on a stub tang knife. It is bleached but not chalky. I have researched different methods of staining antler including using wood stains, leather dyes, scorching, and potassium permanganate. What I haven't found much of is finished handles where a particular stain/method has been used.

I am asking for your experienced advice on what you would use for the pictured antler. If you have a pic of the finished product I would appreciate seeing it.

My other option is to leave it natural and seal it with SuperGlue?

Thank you for your time

Brett

 

[racjarrett88]

been wondering the same thing

 

[TacticallySharp]

Potassium permanganate will make it have a slight purple color until you wipe it off and rub it down. I use several dippings to get the shade I want. Great stuff I get it in the pool section at Sears. I made a chamber for it out of 3" PVC pipe and some fittings. Be careful with it will color everything it touches!

 

[C Craft]

Here is one that was a white bleached shed when I started it looked just like the one in your picture! It was done in stages much like a painting, the background first and then other things added on top.

I originally started with black oil based paint, thinned down to an almost watery appearance. I rubbed it into the antler and then lifted the majority of it back off with a rag and then a rag and a little acetone, as well as a light sanding. That leaves the dark areas in the cracks and crevices only with the darker color. Let it dry and then do the next stage!

Then I lightly sanded and the now white area were hit with potassium peregrinate. A word of caution about potassium peregrinate it is an oxidizer, therefore it can't be shipped by air anymore after the Everglades plane crash incident a few years ago. They will ship it ground ship only. It will cause a burn or at least be an irritant to bare skin and it will stain anything it touches including your hands and it is wash and wear as it won't come off! It goes on purplish but will turn brown with drying. So if you don't want to walk around with purple/brown hands for a very long time, wear gloves!!!

After the PP dried I went back and buffed the handle with a greenie pad very lightly and carefully to create lighter areas again in the handle!

The last step was to seal the whole thing with a tinned down solution of super glue. Once it dried I lightly buffed again with the greenie pad to take most of the gloss away left by the super glue!

So like I said this was done in layers! The end result is a combination of how much was put on and how much was removed and in what order it was put on as well as the colors used!

 

[Bowman]

Thank you for the info gentlemen. I think I am going to play with the chewed parts of the antler and attempt a couple of different methods. Potassium permanganate looks like a common method. I'll have to track some down.