Giraffe Bone Knife Handles

[Neil Molendyk]

In 2018 I had the opportunity to take a giraffe while hunting. My PH said at that time that I should take the giraffe shin bones back home with me, commenting that they are used for knife handles and if I were to ever want a custom knife made, it would make a nice memento of the hunt. So anyways, I nowhere 2 giraffe shins and it looks like to me that to find any for sale in Canada, well good luck. The US websites that I have found all indicate that the giraffe bone that they have is not exportable out of country. With the CITES documentation I had no issues importing the bone into Canada.

So I have some questions to the fine members of AH, if you don't mind.

1. What does stabilized refer to?
2. What is the stabilizing process entail?
3. Can the bone be dyed and how?
4. What is your opinion on the value of these raw shin bones, approximately 30" in length.

Any comments and answers are greatly appreciated.
NM

 

[mdwest]

1. What does stabilized refer to?
A process where the material is impregnated with resin

2. What is the stabilizing process entail?
Typically the material is submerged in the resin inside a vacuum chamber for a period of time which allows the resin to displace all air inside pockets within the material… then the material is exposed to heat which solidifies and hardens the resin


3. Can the bone be dyed and how?
Dye is introduced during the stabilization process and penetrates completely through the material along with the resin.. yes, bone can be dyed..

4. What is your opinion on the value of these raw shin bones, approximately 30" in length.
I honestly don’t have any idea at all


Hope this helps a bit

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Thank you mdwest

 

[MarkB]

I cannot answer any of your questions. I have seen them used as lamp bases, but I did really take a liking to the scrimshawed big 5 in the leg bones I saw while over there, some even had lights in them. When giraffe hits my hunt list (next safari) i will have the leg bones scrimshawed. Importation is one small bonus of being Canadian, at least until Trudope screws that up.

MB

 

[Neil Molendyk]

but I did really take a liking to the scrimshawed big 5 in the leg bones I saw while over there

I agree MarkB, I had two of the leg bones scrimshawed, one with a herd of cape buffalo and the other of the plains game my son took, kudu, gemsbok, zebra and impala. They really turned out well, and really affordable when done in RSA. They make nice personal souvenirs of the hunt.

 

[AZDAVE]

I had one of mine scrimshawed with dangerous 7, and one carved with big 5. The other 2 I have for knife handles. Not sure that the giraffe bone needs stabilization as it is the densest bone there is.

So that brings up a question for the knife makers that have worked with it does it required stabilization? or Can it be worked like dense wood and polished when complete?

 

[Shootist43]

Our resident Knife Maker i.e. Von Gruff has used giraffe bone for knife scales in the past. No doubt he will be answering your questions shortly.

 

[VertigoBE]

This is my @Von Gruff knife with scales of giraffe bone. They are not dyed. In the picture you cannot see it really, but there is some texture in it, some hues of yellowish white and white-white.

I'm extremely satisfied with this handle material. It feels very luxurious in my hand.
And Von Gruff knives... well for the quality versus price, there is no better custom knife you can purchase.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Just thought I would share these

 

[mdwest]

There’s a big knife show in Ft Worth today… I picked up some really nice handle material while I was there…

Dyed and stabilized kudu bone

Hoping to make a couple of drop point hunters using these scales…

Now I’ve just got to decide on whether or not to do bolsters, what pins to use (I’m thinking a nice mosaic?), and whether or not to add liners…

Decisions, decisions…

 

[CBeck]

These are a few dyed and stabilized pieces I have for bolsters for an idea of what they look like.

 

[shotgungibbs]

Love the scrimshawed leg bones! Just neat as can be!

 

[Nhoro]

No they do not have to be stabilized but it does make them a bit tougher. The main benefit is that they do not absorb water/blood etc. This means the scales don't warp/discolour/shrink over time. I think stabilisation is a good thing- no real downsides that I know of and it makes your knife more durable. No clue as to value. I guess there are not too many canadians wanting giraffe bone handled knives.

 

[CBH Australia]

Interesting reading. I have no idea.

I am curious what 2 X 30" pieces of Giraffe shin bone would retail for.

There been talk of Camel bone but I guess Giraffe seems more exotic.

 

[Nkawu]

I’ve used giraffe horn for my home-made knife from a big old bull skull I found in the bush and I am really happy with the result. It is really dense with some interesting features.

 

[CBeck]

I’ve used giraffe horn for my home-made knife from a big old bull skull I found in the bush and I am really happy with the result. It is really dense with some interesting features.

View attachment 458312

I like that a lot now I’m gonna have to start looking for a piece of it

 

[mdwest]

There’s a big knife show in Ft Worth today… I picked up some really nice handle material while I was there…

Dyed and stabilized kudu bone

View attachment 458082

Hoping to make a couple of drop point hunters using these scales…

Now I’ve just got to decide on whether or not to do bolsters, what pins to use (I’m thinking a nice mosaic?), and whether or not to add liners…

Decisions, decisions…

FWIW, here's how the top kudu bone scales turned out...

I still need to etch a makers mark on the blade... but overall I think they ground out really nicely.. I took them to 3000 grit and then hit them pretty hard with green buffing compound. that turned them smooth as glass.. with the stabilizing resin in them they have quite a bit of heft to them as well.. its a nice, sturdy knife..

I tried to go a bit "fancy" with this one using a mosaic pin in the rear as decoration, 8 micro pins of the same steel as the blade (D2), etc.. looking back I wish I had incorporated in a dark bolster (maybe buffalo horn?) and dropped all of the micro pins and just went with a pair of mosaics on the rear slab and a couple of small stainless pins on the bolster...

maybe next time...

 

[Sika98k]

My giraffe bone handled knife. A bit of a cheat. Moonraker knives in the U.K. had some old stock of the Schrade PH1 blades. This is how it turned out. I bought the giraffe bone on eBay.de. It arrived with no issues.

 

[AZDAVE]

@mdwest Really like the look of your knife. Good job!

@Sika98k also nice work. Did you stabilize the bone or just polish when shaped?

 

[Sika98k]

@mdwest Really like the look of your knife. Good job!

@Sika98k also nice work. Did you stabilize the bone or just polish when shaped?

Thanks. Polished when shaped.