Malaysian buffalo horns; ideas please

[bandel4]

Hi everyone...
I recently asked a mate to help me get some horns (goats or something) to re-handle me knife. I met and paid him today for these humongous buffalo horns. These are horns from domesticated buffalo (good eating the meat), but they are HUGE. Perhaps too big to re-handle a small knife.

So, I am thinking of what to do with them. Some ideas that crossed my mind includes a sling shot and handle for a parang.

Below are pictures of the horns.

The above two pics shows two sides of the horns. One is rather smooth, the other with grooves. There are some red paint on the horns as the buffalo is painted to mark them (for some reasons).

The above pic shoes the diameter at the open end of the horn. Its hollow at this end but I believe it is full towards the sharp end.

I am open to suggestions. Would appreciate feedback, ideas & suggestions on:

1...How to rid the smell of rotting flesh inside. (They are free of maggots but smell still there)

2...What can I do with them? If you are kind enough also to share with me how to go around doing it much appreciated! Pics or sketches would be awesome.

Many many thanks in advance

From Malaysia...
http://my-rainforest-adventures.blogspot.com/

 

[brancho]

If they are solid they would be great for a knife handle what to do with the rest is the key.

As for the smell let the maggots finish the job then wash them out.

The maggots are efficient at removing what you dont want.

 

[trail2]

They make a great belly for an Asian horn bow.
Jon R.

 

[bandel4]

Hi Jon R...forgive me for my ignorance, what is a 'belly'? Can you share with me what an Asian horn bow is?
http://my-rainforest-adventures.blogspot.com/

 

[trail2]

The belly is the side of the bow that faces you when you shoot. The inner curve as it were.
Horn bows are usually thought of as "Mongol" bows but in fact are found from Hungary to Korea. Perhaps the most famous are the Turkish bows that set all the flight shooting records that are now only just being broken.
Basically the bow is made of a horn belly and sinew backing. This is all glued to a thin wooden core.depending on the design/culture they also may have wood siyahs (ears)
For a more in depth idea of these bows check out
http://www.atarn.org/frameindex.htm
On the left of the page there are various bow types listed. Check them over.
Hope this was helpful.
Jon R.

 

[hog]

Cant the end of the horn (the sharp end section ) be filled with an epoxy and used as a knife handle, or even two nice fire steels.

 

[xylaria]

I got rid of the funky smell in my cow horns by soaking them in cheap cider over night and scrubing with bottle brush. I just filled them to the brim with stomach rotting white cider and propped them in bucket. I am not sure if bad cider is advialble in malaysia but fermented orange juice should do the the same job.

Horn stinks when it is worked even with hand tools. I found I had to work outside with it. Ordinary woodwork tools do most of the jobs, I used buffing compound in last phase of sanding shiney.

 

[John Fenna]

Rather than cider, wouldn't the gut rotting properties of Coke be a good industrial strength cleaner to get rid of the smell?
Available world wide!

 

[bandel4]

Hog...good idea with the handle.

Xylaria...thanks for the tip. Hmm...I am not too sure what cider is. Is it vinegar? If its vinegar, yeah, there's plenty here.

Since I have both sides of the horns, maybe I can try one with cheap vinegar and the other with Coke!

Thanks guys.

Any other ideas/ suggestions most welcomed (especially on what to do with them).

http://my-rainforest-adventures.blogspot.com/

 

[jon r]

Wow, those horns are great! They would make an incredibly powerfull bow! Bows made from horn like this can shoot an arrow half a mile. So i urge you NOT to cut them up! If you havnt cut them up for knife handles already, how much would you sell them for... i might be interested in buying them...

 

[xylaria]

Cider is the juice from fermented apple pulp, rough cheap cider has the lumpy bits filtered and chemicals added to make "drinkable". It can up to 10% proof, it is acidic tasting but I don't know if it is very acid. I don't know if coke or vinager might be too acidic and damage the horn. I had to saw off the rough bit around the mouth of the horn so maybe doing tests on waste piece maybe better. Off fruit juice maybe better.

Here is link with very full instructions that don't invovle any form of local hooch that could get you locked up in a islamic country.

 

[singteck]

Cider is available is most large supermarket in Malaysia

singteck

 

[BOD]

Yen's coconut toddy would do the trick

 

[Draven]

How deep is the hollow in the horns? If it's deep enough, you could make a drinking horn - or, if you feel it's too big for that, you could cut if off just below where the hollow part ends and make a tankard or cup.

I wouldn't say it's too big to make knife handles, just means you'll get a lot of handles

Atb
Pete

 

[bandel4]

Hi JonR...I am not sure if the horns can be sent to you. I am sure there are plenty of restrictions when it comes to stinking oversize buffalo horns

Singteck and Bod, I will attempt both cider and Todi. Thanks! At the moment, I have left it out in the garden for the ants to go in and clear out whatever is left inside. They are doing a great job at it at the moment.

Pete...right on about them handles. Maybe I should consider getting the parang made up now!

 

[dogwood]

Wow, those horns are great! They would make an incredibly powerfull bow! Bows made from horn like this can shoot an arrow half a mile. So i urge you NOT to cut them up! If you havnt cut them up for knife handles already, how much would you sell them for... i might be interested in buying them...

Jon R, I know from your site that you're a very deft maker, but have you tried a horn bow before? It's *hard*. I'm a decent bowyer and twice have tried horn bows and been undone by them.

That said, I recall a source for horn in the UK -- I if I can find it, I'll post it.

 

[dogwood]

Hi everyone...
I recently asked a mate to help me get some horns (goats or something) to re-handle me knife. I met and paid him today for these humongous buffalo horns. These are horns from domesticated buffalo (good eating the meat), but they are HUGE. Perhaps too big to re-handle a small knife.

So, I am thinking of what to do with them. Some ideas that crossed my mind includes a sling shot and handle for a parang.
http://my-rainforest-adventures.blogspot.com/

Those are nice horns.

You could make a *lot* of knife scales from them. I'm a little torn about horn scales (I've got them on a couple of knives). The feel good in the hand, but they can be prone to cracking in use. I prefer wood and antler for scales.

 

[trail2]

Dogwood
Yeah I have tried twice to make a horn bow. Once a "Mongol" and had it all wrong. The second was a Korean bow.I got in a hurry and it delaminated in spectacular style . Thats when I decided to buy one from someone who knows what they are doing.
That said,I have two horn strips awaiting a bow. So I will give it another try come the spring.
Jon R
P.S
PM me sometime and we will talk bows and Asian archery if you feel like it.