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DIY Components - Horns

Page last updated February 2010 - click on "Refresh" or "Reload" to ensure you see the latest information each time you visit.

DIY horn price list

ALL PRICES ARE IN UK POUNDS and include VAT

Please note we have a minimum order value of £5 plus shipping.

For orders under this limit see our "Methods of payment" on the page terms.htm

If you would like to purchase Stick Man Gift Vouchers please click HERE

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Please note - small packages will normally be sent by Royal Mail and larger ones by courier.

Horn and Antler

True horn is a thermoplastic and can be heated, bent and shaped to create wonderful horn handles, but you may need specialist equipment to use it to its full potential. Antler is bone and cannot normally be bent.

It must be appreciated that all horns and antlers are naturally grown items and as such will have considerable variation between individual pieces. If you require specific sizes or shapes then please make sure you advise us of these at the time of ordering - we do our best to provide what our customers want but reading minds is not our speciality!
As soon as you order anything your order form has a box for "Additional order information" - please use it to tell us what you want!

NOTE: Measurements of horns are made along the outside curve.

Many countries have import restrictions on "Animal Products" (which includes 'raw horns') to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. All our horns are acquired legally and have been disinfected where appropriate. However, it is the customer's responsibility to acquire any necessary import licences, otherwise there is a strong possibility that horn items may be confiscated by Customs or may be subject to further disinfection at your expense. No refund will be given for goods not arriving under these circumstances!

Black Buffalo Horn

from domesticated Asian Water Buffalo

Solid tips - no hollow section! As Rams Horn has become increasingly difficult to get, buffalo horn has become more popular. Although predominantly black when polished, you will often find white flecks or streaks, also smoky blues and greys will appear in some horns. Polishes to a high gloss with the use of metal polish on a cloth - or buy one of our polishing kits (below) for that really professional look!

Grade 'A' horns are selected to be more easily worked with fewer irregularities, minimum thickness of 1 inch (25 mm) at the thicker end. No visible defects that would affect their use for stick handles

Grade 'B' horns may be of thinner or less regular cross-section and may be more twisted. Still usable but will take more work to obtain a good finish. These are also good for cutting up for other craft projects.

ONLINE DISCOUNTS ON ORDERS OF 3 OR MORE HORNS OF THE SAME SIZE RANGE
FURTHER DISCOUNT ON 10 OR MORE

GRADE 'A' HORNS

SMALL (11" to 13") for nose-in Market Sticks or small crooks £7

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MEDIUM (13.5" to 15.5") for medium sized crooks £10

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LARGE (16" to 18") for large sized crooks £12

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GRADE 'B' HORNS

SMALL (11 " to 13") for nose-in Market Sticks or small crooks £6

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MEDIUM (13.5" to 15.5") for medium sized crooks £8

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LARGE (16" to 18") for large sized crooks £10

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Pack of five Grade 'A' Buffalo horns, mixed sizes £45.00

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Black Buffalo Horn Lyre thumb stick handle - shaped and smoothed, ready to fit to a shank - the neck of the lyre is about 25 mm in diameter. Smooth with fine abrasive and "Brasso", "T Cut" or similar to get a shiny finish. The use of a buffing wheel will give great results!

Price: £9.50
Special online offer, buy 3 or more at just £7.50 each and 10 or more at only £6.50 each!

SORRY - OUT OF STOCK

Black Buffalo Horn Fork thumb stick handle - shaped and smoothed, ready to fit to a shank. You can cut the tips shorter if you wish or heat and bend them out to open the V. Polish in same way as the Lyre pattern. Both can look stunning with a white bone spacer and dark shank - see my finished thumb sticks page.

Price: £9.50
Special online offer, buy 3 or more at just £7.50 each and 10 or more at only £6.50 each!

Black Buffalo Horn Wide Fork thumb stick handle - shaped and smoothed, ready to fit to a shank. You can cut the tips shorter if you wish or heat and bend them out to open the U. Polish in same way as the Lyre pattern. All can look stunning with a white bone spacer and dark shank - see my finished thumb sticks page.

This Wide Fork is designed to be used as a stalking pole - to steady a rifle for a more accurate shot - but makes a comfortable "normal" thumb stick.

Price: £9.50
Special online offer, buy 3 or more at just £7.50 each and 10 or more at only £6.50 each!

Pre-shaped crook handles (still require filing, sanding and polishing).
These are not always in stock as we only make a few at a time - you may have to wait for one to be made. Email if you need one in a hurry!

These have been formed by heating and bending the horn round a jig, followed by rasping into shape. Some variation in exact size and shape is inevitable because they are handmade and the finishing done by yourself will also determine the final size/shape. Will usually fit shanks around 7/8" to 1" at top - let us know if you need bigger!

The Large handle is too big for a "normal" walking stick.

The Medium handle is the most common size we make and will make a good sized crook for either a tall or a short walking stick.

The small size is commonly used for a lady's or smaller man's size walking stick.

The Market Stick handle is about the size of a Medium crook but the nose is turned inwards instead of being curled out.

This Round-shaped horn can be finished as it is or you can turn the 'nose' end in a little yourself (using heat and clamps) to make a Market stick. You could also turn the nose outwards slightly to make a half-turn nosed crook.

As well as the good horns we often get those that have been damaged by the farmer - either a hole has been drilled near the tip (for fastening two rams together)

or the inside face of the horn has been cut away to prevent it growing into the animal's jaw. These defects can often be overcome if you have the right tools and we sell seriously affected horns at reduced prices - contact us if you are interested in these.

Rams horn

This is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in good quality. Prices vary according to size and availability so, to make it easier to order, I've put them into four categories - but please note that exact size and shape will probably vary each time you order, due to differences in the horns from different sheep breeds. I cannot guarantee horns to be free from internal defects - though I do inspect each one myself - and will only refund money if you return them BEFORE you start to work on them! You should, however, expect most horns to have some internal cracks, splits or hollows - all of these can be 'worked' upon to produce a usable handle of some kind but considerable skill is required and some way of applying heat and pressure is needed to bend and "bulk" the horn to get the best results. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE THESE IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE SKILL AND FACILITIES TO WORK THEM EFFECTIVELY! Some horns are easier to work than others but even experienced stickmakers have failures! We can not guarantee any horn will make a perfect stick.

SMALL, (less than 10 inches of SOLID horn). Possible uses: walking sticks, ladies sticks, small market sticks and small trout. Price £4.99 each

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MEDIUM, (10 to 12 inches of solid horn). Possible uses: market sticks and small crooks, smaller carved crooks (thistle type) and larger trout. Price £9.99 each

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LARGE, (12 to 15 inches of solid horn) for full crooks, price £15.00
SOLD OUT

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EXTRA LARGE, (over 15 inches of solid horn) for full crooks, price £18.50 SOLD OUT

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Rams Horn "Backs" - completely hollow sections from the open ends of the horns. Useful for making horn collars or capping material. Can be cut, heated and shaped to form ears, horns, beaks etc. on carvings. Also useful for making spoons, napkin rings, shoe horns or other craft projects. Large ones can be shaped into Thumbstick forks.

Cow Horn NB due to BSE regulations it is almost impossible to get horns from British cattle!

Excellent quality French Charolaise and Salar cow horns, for making 'knob' type handles. These can be filled with resin, with coins, medals, badges etc. set in the open end - or capped with horn or wood (see the knob sticks page). Many of the medium and large horns have enough solid material to be heated and bent into small handles - a few will make full crooks.
Cow horn has the unfortunate property of 'delaminating' while growing - a cross-section cut will often reveal cracks or fissures which may need to be heated and squeezed when making bent handles (similar to 'bulking' ramshorn). Length stated includes the hollow section where the bone was. If you need to discuss specific purposes please e mail me before or soon after ordering.

Cow Horn small (8" to 10") £4.50 SPECIAL OFFER buy 3 or more at just £3.99 each

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The large ones can also be used for making powder horns, drinking vessels or hunting horns.

Buffalo horn slices, around 2" to 3" square and 1/2" thick. Useful for capping the open ends of cow horns for knob stick handles (see picture above) or cut them up for antler caps.

Cow Horn "Backs"

Cow Horn "Backs" - completely hollow sections from the open ends of the horns. Useful for making horn collars or capping material. Can be cut, heated and shaped to form ears, horns, beaks etc. on carvings. Also useful for making spoons, napkin rings, shoe horns or other craft projects.

Pack of 10 Cow Horn "Backs" as above.

Abrasive tape. Much longer lasting than sandpaper, used for smoothing shanks, handles, horns and carvings.

Mixed pack - three pieces, approx. 30 cm (12") X 2.5cm (1") each in three grades - coarse, medium and fine

MEDIUM tape (120 grit) sold per metre

FINE tape (320 grit) sold per metre

STEEL WOOL 0000 grade, VERY FINE. small pack, approx. 30 cm roll in pack. Used for cleaning up wood, horn and antler prior to finishing or polishing.

More abrasives and tools for stickmaking HERE

Clear polyester Embedding Resin

This one is formulated for small castings. Some other resins on the market are meant for larger castings (like paperweights) and do not set very well when used in small quantities. I use this myself - it's brilliant!

500ml tin of resin with catalyst hardener

A small bottle of hardener is inside the blue cap and the cap itself has measuring marks inside to help you get the correct mixture!

Used for setting coins, badges, fishing flies, pictures etc. in the open end of cow horn knob handles or in antler tops. The resin sets hard in around 24 hours and can be filed and sanded before polishing clear. Instruction sheet included.

Hardener only

Small bottle of hardening catalyst - in case you have used too much or spilled yours and still have resin to use!

Fine and coarse polishing compounds

Polishing Kit for horn, antler and embedding resin.
Note: The polishing kit is best used after all scratches have been removed with abrasive tape and steel wool (above).

Set of two polishing wheels, coarse and fine polishing compounds (one for each wheel) and a threaded cone mandrel. The mandrel fits any electric drill, converting it into a polisher! Use one wheel with coarse compound to take out fine scratches left after abrasives - then use the other wheel with fine compound to polish to a bright mirror-like shine!

Gently touch rotating wheel with compound block to apply a fine coating.

NB use eye protection with rotating wheels and use on fairly slow speed for best results.

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Steel Jig

Bending jig

Welded steel jig for use with buffalo, cow or rams horn £30 each

Booklet explaining the use of the jig and horn bending technique below.

If you live locally enough and would like to hire a jig for a few days then I'm happy to let you take one for only £2.50 a day or £10.00 for a whole week (deposit required).

"How to bend Buffalo Horn"

Small home-made booklet by The Stick Man. A detailed step-by-step guide showing you the 'easy' way to make Buffalo Horn handles. It includes colour photo's of the horn-bending jig in use with tips on how best to make use of it. Only £2.50

Coronet Handle £4.99 Walker handle £4.50

Bottom row left to right:
Grade "A" Fork £5.99, Grade "B" Fork £3.50, Coronet Roll £3.99, Straight Roll £2.99 and Angled Roll £2.99

Grade "A" fork capped with buffalo horn £10.99

Grade "B" fork capped with buffalo horn £8.50
(may have only one point capped if other one is too small)

Tri-point fork £4.99 (out of stock)

Antler

Scottish Red Stag Horn (occasionally Sika Stag used).

The photo shows seven cut sections: Above left is a Coronet Handle (for walking sticks or whistle sticks). Top right is a walker handle.
Bottom left is a Grade "A" Fork (for thumb sticks). Next is a Grade "B" fork, slightly less even in shape but still good enough for thumb sticks.
In the middle is a Coronet Roll (for hiking sticks or wading staffs). Next to that is a Straight Roll - no coronet on top. NB these are often slightly curved and not dead straight!
To the far right is an Angled Roll (for hikers or wading staffs).

The Grade A and B forks are capped with buffalo horn and roughly sanded to shape for you to finish on your sticks.

Tri-point Fork - Three points from the top of an antler. Each one is unique in size and shape but these can make interesting and unusual thumb sticks.

Exact shapes vary but will resemble pictures. Colour may vary from near white to dark brown. Green staining may show if naturally shed antlers have been left on grass for some time. If you require specific sizes/shapes/colours we will try to accommodate you but you must let us know!
Click on selection box to select different shapes:

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Pack of horn pieces for capping ends of antler handles
Most of these will be too small to use as spacers (some may be OK on smaller shanks) but should be fine for capping pieces of antler. Available in mixed colours or just black.

Antler fork showing horn caps and spacer after fitting

Buy in packs to save money!

Horn and bone spacers

Black buffalo horn, cow horn, rams horn or white bone slices for capping stag horn or as spacers between joints.

Pack of approx. 20 Black Buffalo horn caps £1.50

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White Bone spacer £0.50

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Black buffalo horn and white bone spacers

Buffalo horn scales - around 4" to 5" long and 1" to 1 1/2" wide by around 1/4" thick. Use for knife handle side plates or cut up for caps and spacers.

Buffalo horn scales