Antler as a knife handle material

[Barandir]

So I am a big fan of antler handled knives, particularly crown/stick section knife handles. I know a lot of later german knives such as bauernwehrs have antler scale handles, and there’s plenty of Stone Age antler handled knives, but I personally don’t have any good idea of how prevalent antler handles were in migration period through early medieval Europe.

I spoke with Udwin about this, and he said he thinks that any antler handles, especially crown/stick sections, would have a lot more carving and decoration than you would see on 18th century rifleman and trade knives. I tend to agree, but I have very little to go on for my opinion other than my own conjecture. Anyone else want to weigh in?

[ForgeCorvus]

Antler is the ideal handle material if you're using a stick, stub or rats-tail tang. You just pack the hollow full of cutler's pitch and set the metal in. As such I think it should be a lot more common on belt knives then is found in collections (mostly because historically people didn't collect commoner's gear).

Medieval people liked decoration, lots of decoration.... Even bad decoration is better then no decoration (as in a recent Tod's Workshop vid I posted).

In short, if thats what you want, go nuts

[Peter Remling]

You might want to try some scrimshaw on the antler. File/polish it down to the grip size you like, draw the design in pencil, etch with a fine hobby knife, wipe add ink to the design and then wipe the excess. Once it's dry, put lacquer on it, at least one coat.

[Barandir]

I’ve done several stick and crown handles in the past, as it’s definitely a favorite material of mine. Never tried scrimshaw but I’m always down for a new carving technique!

[Manveruon]

The only thought I have to add about the suitability of antler as a knife hilt material, really, is that in many places during the Middle Ages, the hunting of deer was a strictly regulated practice, so things like antler and deerskin, etc. might reasonably be considered either, A: status symbols, or B: the mark of a poacher/outlaw. (But I’m not in any way an expert on that topic, so there may be a lot of context I’m missing, and if I’m being completely fair, I could be just flat-out wrong - so do take what In say here with a grain of salt).
All that being said though, I don’t think that really applies in the context of Middle-earth. I’ve never heard of any such hunting restrictions mentioned be Tolkien - and indeed, that would be a difficult thing to enforce in the Third Age anywhere but, say, Rohan or Dale and maaaaaaybe Gondor (given the conspicuous absence of a king). It also feels, to me, like the sort of thing the Elves wouldn’t really regulate either.

[ForgeCorvus]

The other thing worth mentioning. Deer shed their antlers, so that material is more acceptable then bone or horn to some peoples ethics.

As a plus, antler is tough stuff (but then I suppose it needs to be, given what the average stag does with them).... After all the flint mines at Grimes Graves were dug out with them.