Elk Antler

[woodbutcher]

I have no experience with antlers. For Christmas my SIL gave me an Elk antler about 3' in length with 5 nice points. Is there a particular piece or area that might produce a better pen? Is it better to turn wet or let it dry more? Does any of this matter or just cut off a piece and see what turns up?
Thanks in advance

 

[gerryr]

That was a fair size elk. As long as you don't mind marrow, you can use any part of it that's straight enough to drill. I've turned a lot of deer antler but only a couple of elk antler pens. Except for the very narrowest pieces near the tip of each tine, you will have some marrow. You can cut off a piece and see what the marrow looks like. The couple I did it had sort of a mottled gray look. I think it had been around for a couple of years.

 

[AFTim]

The older it gets the more it "grays". If you hit marrow, use the thin CA and activator. I have found that elk is actually "whiter" than deer