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Author Topic: Bone and Horn Bladed Knives  (Read 15192 times)

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Offline dean

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Bone and Horn Bladed Knives
« on: November 11, 2011, 01:07:30 am »
I've often seen knives with handles made from horn or bone. How good of a blade can be fashioned from either of these materials? Would bone or horn hold a good edge?
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Bone and Horn Bladed Knives
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2011, 01:11:10 am »
Deer and antelope scapulas were used by many tribes as knives for cutting squash/pumpkins as well as general use in agriculture.  The original examples I have seen were all in the Dakotas and were associated with the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikira. 

Foreleg bones from deer or antelope would be particularly good for fashioning a knife.  Since they take multiple high stress impacts with the ground they build serious calcification structure.  Several people in here have made very workable broadheads from these bones in the past.  Hopefully they will chime in!
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Offline dean

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Re: Bone and Horn Bladed Knives
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2011, 01:47:52 am »
Doing some searching outside of the forums I found an interesting thread about bone blades on paleo planet. They're really nice looking knives. I hope posting this isn't against any rules.

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/30810/BONE-POINTS-AND-BLADES?page=1#.TrybT2BmLGk

I'll be going out for a deer tomorrow.

Do you know if antler is a good material for a blade or would bone be preferable?
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Offline bubby

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Re: Bone and Horn Bladed Knives
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2011, 04:58:23 am »
there is a guy on youtube that was testing which was sharper a knapped blade or bone, both apeared to work about the same, i think his name was shinbone500, bone vs flint, Bub
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Offline mullet

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Re: Bone and Horn Bladed Knives
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2011, 05:23:02 pm »
I've found several ground deer leg bones while diving for artifacts in the rivers down here.
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Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Bone and Horn Bladed Knives
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2011, 10:45:23 pm »
I've made a few bone blade knives just for fun. The bone I used was from a cow femur bone, purchased at a pet supply store. I'm not sure what is done to the bone, but it is snow white. It's very easy to make and sharpen. Seems that getting an edge is simple, it's keeping the edge that I think will be the problem. Although it is just bone, and  I haven't throughly tested one on anything yet, due to the fact that they seem to be fairly fragile. Anyway, attached a pic, I'm thinking it will be part of the gift for the christmas exchange ;)

Tattoo Dave
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Rockford, MI
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