Posted 5 years ago
hotairfan
(385 items)
I bought this moose rack at a farm auction because I wanted to make a few billets to strike flint in making arrow points. I took up the art of flint knapping and I learned that moose antler billets are the best material to strike the flint for good fracturing of the stone.
I was told by the farm owner, that he had harvested this bull moose in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan in 1990.
I could not bring myself to cut up this magnificent set of moose antlers to make some bone hammers for flint knapping.
I decided to mount them. My son told me he would hang them over his fireplace in his real estate office.
The impressive dimensions are as follows: 50 in. wide x 22 in. tall. Each shovel is 13 x 20 in. and this is not counting the tines. These are not drops that fall off at the end of each season. The 12 oz. water bottle shows the size comparison.
I am not sure that I could find it in myself to bring down such a magnificent animal, but, at least his pride and joy can be saved.
Nice antlers glad you didn't cut them a lot of people use schedule K copper for knapping
Wha a 'ting !! Don't think I could bring myself to cut it either. I always had an interest in how knapping was done. Picked up a good book on "how" & played with the art with glass a bit. We have no flint/chert etc. here in SXM, but I heard that there was an outcrop of flint on a reef on the N. side of Antigua. Having a lot of yachtie friends, I was able to obtain some. Of course I didn't have antler for knapping, so tried fall-backs. Copper cap filled with lead etc.. Goat horn doesn't work or mongoose teeth. Maybe without TV & computers, the stone age people had more time & patience than me. What a trying experience !
Hey ! I really would luv to have a rack to hang on my wall, here in the tropics. Also a snow sled, skis, snow shoes etc.. !! They would look great !
Hi bb2, Ineresting that you tried glass for flint knapping. A great source of knapping glass is a 1 gal. jug or 1/2 gal. jug. The earlier the better, because the real early jugs are quite thick in the base (perfect for knapping spear heads or knives.
To get the bottom to fall out, drop in a sizable drill bit in the jug and shake the jug up and down sharply. The entire bottom of the jug will usually fall out leaving the rest of the jug bottomless ….. try it
Hi bobby725,
This rack was a little bit faded, so I put a coat of low luster stain on them than I waxed the rack with dark "Briwax" to give them a polished wax look.
After a hefty coating of "Briwax" and a good buffing, they look like the moose was wearing them yesterday.
Your father-in-law might have hung them outside and they can deteriorate rapidly if a good wax isn' t applied frequently.
Briwax can be found in many antique shops here in PA. I would think that you might even get it on line
H.a.f., everything was gone with the wind in Irma. Book & all !
hi bobby724
I forgot to tell you that I hand rubbed a coat of low luster Formby's tung oil on the rack and left it dry well than I used the Briwax on it.