Blank Swap Elk

[stoneman]

I finally got a chance to try a piece of elk antler I received a while back in a blank swap with Landon (hunter-27) in Nebraska. I put it on a Sierra click I had to rebuild after the original blank I used cracked. Once new tubes became available from Berea, I decided to try the elk on it. It was very porous and required a lot of soaking with CA (and sanding)to get the marrow filled, but I really like the way the elk antler looks. I think the next piece will go on a nicer kit. Thanks Landon.

Comments of all kinds welcome.

 

[toolcrazy]

That is cool looking. Very nice pen, good work.

 

[B727phixer]

Your work looks good, you did a good job filling it back in...I have a hard time with that!

 

[desertyellow]

Good work.

 

[Ligget]

Lovely pen, well done!

 

[hilltopper46]

Very nice pen!!

 

[bitshird]

Great job, I like the color variations of your elk vs. deer antler

 

[devowoodworking]

Very nicely done

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lookin' fine. Nothing wrong with that kit.
BTW, good idea to always keep extra tubes on hand.

 

[PaulDoug]

Beautiful pen. Nice job on the finish.
I just turned a bullet pen using elk. It had the dark marrow and the white "ivory" part was marbled with pink. I can't get the pink to show up good in a picture, but it is really nice. I like elk better then deer.

 

[rjwolfe3]

that is cool looking

 

[Rifleman1776]

Great job, I like the color variations of your elk vs. deer antler

Elk are deer. Any color variations are simply nature at work. There could be differences between elk, whitetail, etc. Being elk or whitetail is not a factor. Nor is it important.

 

[JohnU]

Nice work! I think you should have an elk or elk antler engraved on the white oval. I agree with PaulDoug, I like elk over whitetail antler any day. Most elk I have turned has had a deep maroon marrow, but they were from tine tips that were not very thick.

 

[PaulDoug]

Even if elk are deer, there is a difference probably because of the size. More blood pumping into Elk antlers?

 

[JohnU]

Ive turned and cut lots of each and found a difference in the marrow between the two. I dont know if its because of the differences in foods consumed, their environments, or just dna in how they grow to shape (with elk being thicker and longer). Ive found whitetail to have a small pocket marrow, where elk seem to be more of a longer sliver type grain (with more marrow and less outter white surface). I would agree that color is just chance in each, but I havent seen whitetail as dark as I have elk.