Bone and Antler Day

Antler cut for a composite ulu handle

Its a dusty day in the workshop today - I'm starting on a bunch of bone and antler reproductions.  There's a netting shuttle made from antler and small bone thimble.  Other pieces will be part of composite tools.  I'll finally be making a couple arrows that would work with the Tuktut Nogait bow and they will have antler foreshafts with copper arrowheads.  This order also includes a long handled copper scraper and a steel ulu, both with caribou antler handles.  I've been trying to get all those pieces started today.

Antler handle for a copper scraper

Some of them are relatively simple, like the thimble and the netting shuttle and I should be able to have them complete within a day or two.  Others are more complex and I may need to soak the antler in vinegar for a few days to bend it into the shapes that I need.  The sooner I can get them cut to size the sooner I can move on to the next steps.

Bone thimble (in progress) and needle

Antler blank for a netting shuttle

Photo Credits: Tim Rast