antler glue ?

[willie]

the arrow-head was fastened to the shaft with deer sinew, held firm by means of a glue made of the tops of deer horns boiled to a jelly.

p.27. NORTH AMERICAN BOWS, ARROWS,AND QUIVERS , by Otis Tufton Mason



has anyone here ever tried this for glue? or seen similar reports?

[EdwardS]

I once tried this.  I used boiling to affix an antler handle to a knife blank.  Nothing could budge that knife.  Just boiled it and drove the blade tang in.  Works a treat.

[willie]

I suppose that boiling will soften antler some, and it's good to know if you are hafting something to an antler, but the impression I got from reading Mason is that glue was made from antler, specifically "the tops of deer horns".

Mason is citing a report of Capt. John Smith of Virginia, and he also comments that "This method is not unlike that of the Apache, Utes, and other tribes of the great interior basin."

[DC]

I searched the web for this and found one mention that said you can make glue out of antler but that it's a complicated process. That's it.

[JW_Halverson]

I could see the spongy center softening enough to drive in a tang, but I really cannot believe glue can be made from antler.

[DC]

That's why stone soup was invented. They couldn't get a broth out of antler.

[stash59]

I think Thad Beckum mentions putting scrapes of antler in with sinew and rawhide. In the glue pot in his arrow making DVD. Have to watch it again to check.

[JW_Halverson]

Since mullet is currently down in Brazil (I doubt he is working, probably just getting a wax), I will throw in the mystical buffalo whiz aspect!

[Hawkdancer]

JW - that could create a breeze at the knees😀 Smile, Mullet, at least it's summer down there!
 If I remember correctly, many flint blades were halted in boiled antler, "back in the (long ago) day".  Have to start haunting the museums again to be sure!  My guess is the blade was roughed out, then halted, and finished after halting, but I have a lot to learn and relearned about knapping.  I would think the antler would have to be "scraped" very fine to boil into glue.  I just drilled out the only one I made and capped it with a chunk of Chevy Corvair engine block😀😱.  Semi primitive, did all the work by hand, including chiseling out the corner of the block and fitting to the blade, about 25 years ago!  Oh well tomorrow's Friday!  Have a cold one and a nice weekend!
Hawkdancer

[Pat B]

I got a drawknife blade from Keenan a few years ago with pointed tangs. He said to heat the tang to red hot and push it into the pith of an antler(handle) and it would glue itself in. I haven't tried it yet.

[willie]

Interesting observations

I wonder if the pith is similar to the "tops" of horn in velvet?

seems like the tips are pretty hard after the velvet comes off, but there might be a better season for making glue