About the Raw Materials

Horn is a permanent structure occuring on many breeds of cattle, sheep, goats, and the like. It is made up primarily of a protein called keratin, which is the same substance of which turtle shells, bird beaks, and your fingernails are made.

Upon removing the horn from the animal carcass, the bone core and surrounding soft tissue must be cleaned out, leaving a mostly hollow horn.

Horn is a thermoplastic, which means that it can be molded into most any shape after applying heat. When it cools, it holds the new shape.

Because of heat's affect on horn, when and if you clean your horn goods, use mildly soapy, COOL water. If your wash water is too hot, the horn will want to resume its original shape, and the layers that horn gorws in will begin to separate.

Historically, horners got horn from the local butcher. Nowadays, they are getting harder and harder to find in America, as the horns are being either bred out or they are lopped off when cattle are mere pups. This is done to eliminate the possibility of goring either people or other cattle, as well as to make feeding stations more efficient.

BONE

Bones were also historically acquired from the local butcher. I get mine from butchers and hunters - preferably already cleaned!

ANTLER

Antler is stucturally related to bone, but they are temporary. Depending on species and local climate, they start growing in the late summer or fall, and drop off sometime after mating season. Historically, people such as farmers and herdsmen who are out in the fields anyway would pick up shed antler and bring it to the horner in town or village. I mostly use antlers from whitetail deer - the most prevalent species in my part of the world - but occasionally have moose (European elk), elk (European red deer), fallow, and others.