Sailordad just asked about using antler for knife handles and it was mentioned that boiling the antler will soften it. I live in an area of usually not so big whitetails, because everyone shoots the first one they see (that's another story). The result is a lot of young deer taken with small racks and normally a lot or some curl in the antler. These antlers are difficult to use for knapping with the curl. I would like to make some Ishi sticks with antler tips and need or want straight antler tips of some length.
Has anyone boiled or heated antler with a heat gun or something that made the antler malleable enough to straighten it. It would be much easier to use straight than with the curl.
Lyman
