Finally Finished A Carving

[stoneman]

Well, being temporarily (I hope) unemployed has a few silver linings.

My brother-in-law, Andy, joined me one day a couple years back (April 28, 2007) and we hunted for moose antler sheds over in Victory, Vt. about 3-4 miles from camp. It was the day Andy found his first moose shed. He found one and Riley (my son's Black Lab) found the matching shed about an hour later, both with odd brow tines. As usual, I was third man out and only found a crappy, green, chewed up old clunker.

My recent unemployment gave me time to finish a project I started a year and a half ago using that old antler. I originally decided to use the ratty old antler as an experiment – that way if I messed up I wouldn't have wrecked much. Now I sort of wish I had used a better antler.

The photos are:

· The antler the way it lay as I found it while traveling between two historically good shed areas.

· Andy, Riley & me with the day's find. The one in my left hand is the ratty one I found.

· The finished carving.

 

[OldWrangler]

What a cool idea and well executed. Congratulations.

Bet that Moose would like his antler back now.

Are these typical of the Moose antlers in your area. I picture a Moose antler as much bigger, maybe twice or 3X as big. Are these young Meese or females, maybe?

How is Moose antler for making pens? Does it have much marrow and is it real porous?

 

[stoneman]

What a cool idea and well executed. Congratulations.

Bet that Moose would like his antler back now.

Are these typical of the Moose antlers in your area. I picture a Moose antler as much bigger, maybe twice or 3X as big. Are these young Meese or females, maybe?

How is Moose antler for making pens? Does it have much marrow and is it real porous?

George,

This was a small and ratty antler. The ones we've found in Vermont (over 100 in the last six years or so) range from single "spike" antlers of less than a pound to larger ones over 13 pounds. The one pictured with my avatar weighed 11-1/2 pounds and is considered a nice one here in Vermont. I did meet a logger one day while deer hunting who said he found a moose shed weighing 21 pounds in Vermont.

Only bull moose (males) grow antlers and they shed them each winter after the mating season. They grow new set each spring and summer.

I love making pens from moose antler. That is what got me started pen turning to begin with. Like other antler, it varies in color and texture. The tips of the tines and the base where it attaches to the skull are marbly and hard. The center is marrow (as antler is basically bone), but can be turned by stabilizing with CA. My favorite is the border where you get both "ivory" and "marrow" type materials, like this pen.

 

[Woodlvr]

Beautiful work. I think that I need to go hiking this spring on the slopes facing north. I would love to try to turn a piece of moose antler. I have some big elk antler pieces but have not had the nerve to try them yet because of the size. Look forward too seeing more of this kind of project, if you please post them for us too see.

 

[george]

Very nice work. Congrats.

 

[CaptG]

That is sweet. nice job, and post pics of any more that you do.

 

[stoneman]

That is sweet. nice job, and post pics of any more that you do.

Gary,

If I had the talent I'd try carving a Skamania Steelhead in mid-jump on a big inverted moose antler. About 20 years ago a buddy & I drove out and fished a week for the summer steelies out of Burns Ditch in Portage, which I think is about 120 miles southwest of you? Ever charter down that way? Are there still good Skamanias around these days?