*UPDATED FINAL PICS* Antler Handled Cigar Cutter, Bottle Opener and Wine Opener

[luvmystang67]

Okay, so I'm going to the girlfriend's family Christmas this year and couldn't think of what to buy them and wanted to be able to get her parents and brothers something unique from me and to show appreciation for the time I'll be spending with them.  So, I decided to take on a project to create some antler handled goodies from standard goodies.  I went on Amazon and strategically bought things that I thought I could alter, I took them home and ripped the handles off and cut some of my 4 year old (dry) antler to fit the spots (which is an art in itself).  First I'll show you what I started with, and then what I've come to now.  I did this all yesterday and now have until Thursday to finish.

I've done a lot of reading online and some folks coat the whole antler (some just the porous parts) in CA Glue (Cyanoacrylate) and then buff and polish.  Some seem to do the CA glue, sand, and then carnauba wax over the top to polish it up.  Others just do the carnauba wax.  I'm trying to decide what to do myself.

Also, I have questions about cleaning.  There is some leftover tree resin in the burl of the antler, I'm not sure what the best way to make sure antler is clean first.  I'm leaning towards just kind of picking the crap off of them and then using the wax only to buff them all out.  Thoughts from the masses would be appreciated.  I think the hard part is done. 

The wine opener piece still has masking tape over the top to protect the antler during my cuts.

[Yelper Guy]

Impressive! Looks real good, you're on the right track. You'll earn points with those.
When I make yelpers I use hydrogen peroxide to clean-up the bone. It would probably work good on antlers too. I also use a spar urethane to get a good glossy look.

[luvmystang67]

Someone's gotta have some input for me.

A lot of people use CA glue on the smooth stuff.  I might just use wax on the burly stuff.  Thoughts?

[pianoman9701]

Pretty cool, Stang. 

[runamuk]

Someone's gotta have some input for me.

A lot of people use CA glue on the smooth stuff.  I might just use wax on the burly stuff.  Thoughts?

I have used trewax very thin layer applied with a brush and some heat and then buffed.  Also used some shellac cut with some sort of alcohol stuff.  The shellac is shinier I like the wax finish better, have also fiddled with bone and a number of dyes/paints/pigments. 

I love the beer one

[Special T]

  if they dont like it they are 

[stevemiller]

I love that cigar cutter,If I ever saw one for sale somewhere I would surely buy it.Maybe between $30 - $60.

[luvmystang67]

I love that cigar cutter,If I ever saw one for sale somewhere I would surely buy it.Maybe between $30 - $60.

Yeah, trick with the cigar cutter is that its a pretty darn good one.  To find one that I thought I could use with antler I had to go with an Xikar.  The cheapest Xikar is $50.  For for normal priced things, thank you!

http://www.xikar.com/products/cutters/

[Boss .300 winmag]

Drocks family is sure going to love those swell gifts! 

[wadu1]

I've used Carnauba also called Brazil wax and or palm wax on a buffing wheel to get a good finish. I would love a V cutter for my cigars with antler accessories.

[luvmystang67]

I tried the CA glue on a sample piece and didn't really like how it set on the "bark" of the antler, perhaps it'd be good on the pithy marrow segment prior to sanding, but I'm primarily working with the outside of natural antler.

The carnauba wax looks REALLY GOOD.  I need to get a smaller buffer wheel for my dremel to get deeper into some of the burl area, but it shined it up really nice and left the color that the buck put on the antler.  I'll try to post some pics after I do a final polishing and mount the actual parts in the antler tonight.

I'm not sure if D-rock's family would tolerate my advances...

[luvmystang67]

Here's some final pics.  First, some notes:

-I've been using the Wera bottle openers and ripping the handles off, I really like them because the stem is round and they have a lip to stop at the top of the antler.  I decided to make two of this style over the weekend and ordered from amazon on Sunday night.  It appears that USPS has lost my package or something, so now I'm giving the gift of "hole-y antler" with promise of shipment later, kind of a bummer.

-Rivets are a royal PAIN IN THE BUTT.  I finished all the antler for the bottle opener and my rivets weren't lined up 100% correct and i blew out the backside of my finished product that looked SO good before, thankfully I had some CA glue that I used to stick it back together, and when I sanded again, before refinishing a second time, you can't really tell that much.  Also, I'm an idiot and forgot to put the rivet back in for the actual corkscrew and had to set that one a second time.  The cigar cutter I'm particularly proud of, I think it came out really well, but the wine opener was by far the most work.

[h20hunter]

Looks good.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Great looking gear right there.

[Whitpirate]

Fine pieces

[Special T]

So how did it go over on Christmas?

[luvmystang67]

So how did it go over on Christmas?

I think that everyone appreciated their gear.  At first they were like "oh look, a wine opener" and I was like yeah, its a little cooler than that and this is why...

I was a little upset with USPS.  I ordered an extra "Wera" bottle opener so I could rip the top off and finish off my second bottle opener.  I ordered it, contacted the amazon seller, and had it sent priority 2 day from California on Monday before I left.  It didn't arrive until Friday and I was already gone, so I had to give an incomplete gift.

I think they liked them and were impressed, but I dont think anyone could've liked them enough for the amount of effort they were.  Especially the bottle opener, that was a b**ch.  Cigar cutter wasn't terrible.  The bottle openers were by far the easiest.

[pianoman9701]

If they're not hunters, it's hard to understand the effort and value. Those came out really gorgeously.

You know what would be a cool addition? Replacing the button on the cutter with an ivory. You could actually rout out the inside of the ivory and fit it over the button. I think it would be big enough. If you need a cigar smoker to try it out on,...

[Natures Way]

That looks nice!

[starbailey]

Cool and crafty