Rams Horn - How to cure?

[Hiran]

I have some rams horns which were put straight into the freezer after being removed. (i hope putting in the freezer wont cause any negative impact).
I would like to make them into handles for walking sticks, therefore I would like to preserve the inside and allow it to harden to as use as material to insert a dowel (much like is common practise with antlers horns).
I note many people say you should boil the rams horn to remove the insides so it wont rot, however I dont want it to become all hollow as this would make it challenging to make a walking stick.

Does anyone have any suggestion on how I can dry the rams horn without them rotting and becoming smelly? I am wondering it I could leave it in sat to draw out the moisture? As anyone tried this and had any luck? Im open to suggestion if anyone else has other ideas! Thank you

 

[Mountain Bug]

Burying in salt seems like a good approach. One step better might be to bury in salt and leave covered in the refrigerator allowing it to dry completely before any decay could take hold.


Scott

 

[TringSaint]

We had to cut the horns off two of our rams and they are just in the barn and have not rotted. These were taken off a live animal so not removed at the skull nut still have the section where there is a blood supply.

 

[Hiran]

We had to cut the horns off two of our rams and they are just in the barn and have not rotted. These were taken off a live animal so not removed at the skull nut still have the section where there is a blood supply.

would you mind sharing a photo so i understand how yours have been cut? why is it that people say it rots? I cut mine off from the skull so the insides are exposed, will this be a problem for drying left out?

 

[TringSaint]

would you mind sharing a photo so i understand how yours have been cut? why is it that people say it rots? I cut mine off from the skull so the insides are exposed, will this be a problem for drying left out?

Sure. I will take a pic for you today.
Mine were removed using laparotomy wire which gets hot when it cuts but there was still quite a lot of blood until we cauterised it.
We have done two this way and both horns were fine.
The blood vessel only goes about a 1/3 way into the horn, as that is the living bit, the rest is solid keratin with no pulpy centre.

 

[Bowland blades]

Good ram horn is hard to find , poor rams horn is the norm

 

[VSS]

I have some rams horns which were put straight into the freezer after being removed. (i hope putting in the freezer wont cause any negative impact).
I would like to make them into handles for walking sticks, therefore I would like to preserve the inside and allow it to harden to as use as material to insert a dowel (much like is common practise with antlers horns).
I note many people say you should boil the rams horn to remove the insides so it wont rot, however I dont want it to become all hollow as this would make it challenging to make a walking stick.

Does anyone have any suggestion on how I can dry the rams horn without them rotting and becoming smelly? I am wondering it I could leave it in sat to draw out the moisture? As anyone tried this and had any luck? Im open to suggestion if anyone else has other ideas! Thank you

For stick making you need a piece of horn from a mature animal, cut from beyond the point where the soft core ends.
You can't do anything much worthwhile with hollow horn.

 

[TringSaint]

 

[TringSaint]

 

[TringSaint]

 

[TringSaint]

That’s two horns from 2 different Valais rams.
The first was cut nearer to the head hence the larger ‘soft’ core, but as you can see in the second pic, that gets smaller quite quickly so for a stick I guess you probably don’t want any of that pulpy core.
These were just left out after being removed and have not rotted one bit.

 

[Hiran]

That’s two horns from 2 different Valais rams.
The first was cut nearer to the head hence the larger ‘soft’ core, but as you can see in the second pic, that gets smaller quite quickly so for a stick I guess you probably don’t want any of that pulpy core.
These were just left out after being removed and have not rotted one bit.

Thats excellent thanks for sharing. I have cut mine in the same way but since it's been out in the freezer stuff has oozed out due to expanding. Will this be okay? See picture.

 

[VSS]

Thats excellent thanks for sharing. I have cut mine in the same way but since it's been out in the freezer stuff has oozed out due to expanding. Will this be okay? See picture. View attachment 420744

I don't think that particular piece will be any good for stick making. There's too much core and not enough horn.

 

[Freeforester]

Proper stick makers would remove the pedicle and thereafter boil the horn until soft enough to squeeze via several semi circular clamps of diminishing diameter repeating the process with each reduction in size of the mandrel, until you were finally left with a compressed horn of a more or less solid nature.

Edit; by mandrel I mean

 

[TringSaint]

Thats excellent thanks for sharing. I have cut mine in the same way but since it's been out in the freezer stuff has oozed out due to expanding. Will this be okay? See picture. View attachment 420744

Ok, so I’m not a sheep horn expert, but that looks to be a much lighter weight horn than from my rams, and there is a lot more pulp on the centre.
Maybe consider drawing out the excess liquid using salt? Tbh I’m guessing tho but I’m sure someone on here can advise you on the best course of action.

What breed of sheep was that from?

 

[slider]

Just leave them in a dry place for a wee while

 

[VSS]

Proper stick makers would remove the pedicle and thereafter boil the horn until soft enough to squeeze via several mandrels of diminishing diameter repeating the process with each reduction in size of the mandrel, until you were left with a compressed horn of a more or less solid nature.

Yes, that's correct.
But even that process would be unlikely to result in a usable piece of horn from the piece in the photo at post #12. There simply isn't enough horn there to work with.

 

[Freeforester]

Yes, that's correct.
But even that process would be unlikely to result in a usable piece of horn from the piece in the photo at post #12. There simply isn't enough horn there to work with.

Agreed. Seen ice cream cones thicker than that one!

 

[scotch_egg]

Could it be cored out and filled with a resin?

 

[Hiran]

Yes, that's correct.
But even that process would be unlikely to result in a usable piece of horn from the piece in the photo at post #12. There simply isn't enough horn there to work with.

Is that because it's been cut too high up? I cut it as close to the skull as possible.