Some New Rams Horn

Very interesting. Knowing that we need roughly 3/8"-1/2" of thickness on material to make grips from, and knowing that ram horn is hollow, I've often wondered how a grip maker gets enough raw horn to be able to sand off the rough scale & have enough to make a set of grips. Seeing these pics,, it adds a bit to my confusion! Is ram horn thick enough to cut out the blanks like that? Or, is there any filler behind the horn to fit to the grip frame?

Betcha the slabs have to be cut from a LARGE horn to acquire the necessary thickness.

contender said:

Very interesting. Knowing that we need roughly 3/8"-1/2" of thickness on material to make grips from, and knowing that ram horn is hollow, I've often wondered how a grip maker gets enough raw horn to be able to sand off the rough scale & have enough to make a set of grips. Seeing these pics,, it adds a bit to my confusion! Is ram horn thick enough to cut out the blanks like that? Or, is there any filler behind the horn to fit to the grip frame?

Click to expand...

There is no filler added to the horn. The further away from the skull the horn gets, the thicker it gets. Of course, the larger the horn the better off you are. What you are not taking into account is that after the blanks are cut from the horn they have to be straightened. They are boiled until they become soft and pliable. Then they are pressed out flat.

The blanks only need to be around a half inch in thickness toward the middle since a gun grip starts getting thinner the further it is away from the center. As you can see in the picture below, the straightened out horn does just that.

Those are gorgeous! I wondered if they were flattened out or straightened like they do to make powder horns.

CraigC said:

Those are gorgeous! I wondered if they were flattened out or straightened like they do to make powder horns.

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Hi,

Craig, we should send you on a quest: methinks a set of those would look wonderful in some of your leather! A matched set of grips and knife scales would be even better...

Rick C

Thanks Cary! I didn't know about boiling them to straighten them out. You have explained a lot in short order! MANY thanks!

Are not the horns made malleable by boiling then flattened, cut to size, and allowed to dry? This is after each horn is sliced in half longitudinally giving blanks from both sides of the horn with the ribbed side being thickest. Horns are made of keratin like our fingernails (Fingernails are horns as are dog and cats claws!) and are hard, waterproof, and polish well.

SATCOM

SATCOM said:

Are not the horns made malleable by boiling then flattened, cut to size, and allowed to dry? This is after each horn is sliced in half longitudinally giving blanks from both sides of the horn with the ribbed side being thickest. Horns are made of keratin like our fingernails (Fingernails are horns as are dog and cats claws!) and are hard, waterproof, and polish well.

SATCOM

Click to expand...

I said they were cut then boiled to soften and pressed flat above.

Rick Courtright said:

Craig, we should send you on a quest: methinks a set of those would look wonderful in some of your leather!

Click to expand...

If Cary is willing and able, I'd be tickled to send him a grip frame for some grips made out of the stuff.

I have a very limited supply of this stuff. What I do have will only make Bisley grips, not wide enough for plow handles. Depending on replies from customers I may or may not have anything available right now.

"I said they were cut then boiled to soften and pressed flat above."

Cary,

I guess I was in hurry to add to the conversation regarding your grips and your workmanship, that I missed that part.

CraigC and others,

Two other pairs Cary made in the past.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=184562

SATCOM

Amazing work, as always Cary! Whenever I bust out my .44 Special from the safe, the compliments on the birdseye maple handles start to flow!