Preparation of elk antler for carving. Trophy decoration (moose horn). Horn processing equipment and tools

The need to hunt is deeply and firmly rooted in the male nature. Although the modern heads of families no longer have the urgent need to drag the carcass of a dead animal to a hungry family, they are still attracted by wildlife. For some, this is a way to change the situation and relax, for some it is a great workout, for others it is a profitable form of income. And every hunter appreciates trophies. This is the memory of a feat, a clear proof of one's own heroism.

Hunting trophies and their collection

They even came up with the term "trophy hunting". People who hunt bears consider the skin, skull and claws of the killed animal as trophies. Killed birds are stuffed or their claws and most beautiful feathers are preserved. Boar and elk heads are also highly valued. But the most valuable exhibit in the collection of any hunter is the horns of ungulates - elk, deer, deer or bison. Even if for some reason the animal had only one horn, you can make a beautiful wall decoration out of it. Ungulate horns are not always the same size or shape. But this does not stop avid collectors at all.

An indicator of the success of any hunter is the collection of horns of one animal. They are harvested after the elk or deer shed their antlers. It is necessary to follow the ungulates, to know all their habitats, the main routes of movement. The main exhibit is a skull with horns, the hunter extracts after the death of the animal.

The horns of ungulates are most often voluminous and heavy. A special shield or medallion is made for them. Medallions for hunting trophies can be purchased at the store or made with your own hands. Even a person without special knowledge and skills can cope with this matter.

Medallion under the horns

The main function of the medallion is to hold the heavy weight of the trophy. Therefore, they are made of wooden boards with a thickness of at least 4 cm. In order to hang the exhibit on the wall, 2 metal brackets are attached to the medallion.

But one should not forget about the aesthetic role of the medallion for horns either. After all, too large and bright designs will distract attention from the trophy itself. The size must also match.

You can choose the shape according to your taste. The main thing is that the resulting product fits perfectly into the interior of the room where it will be located.

Often, a tag with data on the date of shooting and the type of animal is attached to the medallion under the horns.

How to make a do-it-yourself medallion for horns

There are many types of medallions: round, square, shield-shaped, with carved elements. It is not difficult to create a medallion for horns with your own hands.

Steps to create a medallion:

1. We draw a figure on paper with the size and shape of the future medallion, fold the paper in half, cut it out with scissors.
2. We attach the drawing to the wooden blank, circle it.
3. Cut out the shape with a jigsaw.
4. We grind the product with sandpaper.
5. We cover the surface with varnish or paint.

The horn medallion is ready!

How to prepare the horns and skull

There are several main stages in the processing of horns and skull:

1. The head of the killed animal is separated from the carcass immediately after shooting. To do this, make an incision between the second and third vertebra. With a sharp knife, the largest muscles are cut off, the eyeballs and tongue are removed. In order to clear the head from the inside, a wire is inserted into the back of the head, the brain is shaken and taken out through this hole. The remains are washed out under a strong jet of cold water.
2. If the separated head is abundantly sprinkled with salt, then it will retain its “freshness” for several days. After that, the head must be boiled in spring or rain water. It is important that there are no chemical impurities in it. After all, their presence can affect the color change of the skull and even contribute to its destruction.
3. The head is placed completely in the water. The horns must remain dry. For convenience, a special stand is often used, which prevents the skull from sinking lower. It is necessary to boil the skull until the meat is completely detached from the bones. The “ready” head is left in the water until it cools completely. After that, the skull is taken out and allowed to dry.
4. Often the skull does not have an aesthetic appearance, and hunters prefer to hang only horns on the wall. In this case, a surgical saw with fine teeth cuts off everything superfluous, leaving only a small area of ​​​​the skull to which the horns are attached.
5. If necessary, the skull can be bleached. To do this, mix ammonia and hydrogen peroxide in a ratio of 5: 1. Cotton wool is soaked in this solution and envelops the skull with it. Leave to bleach for 15-20 hours. The horns must remain untouched.
6. Horns also need to be carefully processed. If dimensions allow, then the future trophy is soaked for 48 hours in a saline solution. After that, they are washed with running water. To give the surface a uniform structure, they are cleaned with fine sandpaper. With the help of a milling machine, you can also remove all the bumps and grind them. The final stage is the processing of the horns with stain. This will help to disinfect them and protect them from the influence of external factors. If you wish, you can apply another layer of varnish on top. This will give the horns a shine.

How to fix the horns on the medallion

The final stage remains - fixing the trophy on the medallion. If the horns are small, then they are attached to the base with a wire. Massive - attach with screws. Moose antler medallions should be as reliable as possible, as they are subjected to a large load.

There is a hole in the skull of an elk and other ungulates, which is best repaired with a block of wood. To do this, you need to cut out a wooden “blank”, which will correspond in size to the hole in the skull, insert it into the hole and seal everything with putty. If necessary, the surface can be sanded.

A hunter's trophy, decorated with one's own hands, will be an ideal interior decoration, it can be sold at a high price or made a striking exhibit at exhibitions. Hunting horn trophies are highly valued abroad.

Video

In our video you will find a master class on how to make a medallion with your own hands.

When answering the question "how to process the horns?" first it must be said that the horns are divided into trophy and discarded. The discarded horns are used as material for the manufacture of objects of applied art. Their quality depends on the hardness and thickness of the horn enamel, on the pattern of pearls and grooves. The good quality of the horns is evidenced by the thickness of the grooves between the pearls, the symmetry and opening of the stems. The most beautiful and correct rosettes are in the discarded horns of large individuals. The enamel thickness of quality horns is approximately 2/5 of the diameter of the trunk, and the core is 3/5. When processing the supraorbital processes, the enamel of a high-quality horn is smooth and shiny, like ivory. This also applies to the tops of the processes. These signs also testify to the good health of the animals. There are horns with defects: their pearls are small, small and rare, the enamel is thin, and the core is large, often coming to the surface at the tops of the crown. The horn of such deer antlers contains little lime, especially in weak or young individuals.

The next source of horn for the manufacture of objects of applied art are discarded horns found after 2-3 years. Usually by this time they lose their natural color (turned gray), sometimes they are damaged by rodents. Such a cornea is first cleaned, washed in an alkaline solution, and only then, with the help of a stain, it is given any shade. To make the tops white, they are polished with soft sandpaper, then the cornea is covered with two layers of matte nitro-lacquer diluted with acetone. The cornea can be processed with conventional instruments. The horns are cut with a small-toothed carpenter's saw, a blade saw, or a band saw. The horn is turned with small files, sandpaper or a disc-shaped whetstone. For drilling, locksmith drills are used (in extreme cases, you can also use a drill for wood). So that the white color of the horns near the incision does not get dirty when touched, they are rubbed with a matte varnish. To do this, you can use oxidine diluted with acetone. The horn is attached to the tree with a screw with a nut, in which case any damage to it is excluded, and the cornea is fastened with a double screw: the heads of two screws are welded and, screwing them into both horns, an invisible connection is obtained. It is necessary to work with the horns very carefully so that the screws do not damage the pearls and tops.

How to process horns?

Of particular value is a correctly developed rosette with an intact crown, from which decorations and badges for hats are made. Such objects can be plastic, embossed or contoured with a jigsaw, and the motif itself remains flat. To cut a flat or plastic motif, the socket is prepared as follows. If the dissection of the pearls of the crown allows, the bulge of the rosette, to which the horn is normally attached to the base, is cut off with a smooth cut of the file. Then, with an even cut, the rosette is separated from the rest of the discarded horns. If the pearls interfere, then the bulge is removed with sandpaper, a grinding wheel or a cutter, but the pearls must remain intact. On a white polished flat middle, an image is drawn with a hard pencil. Even before the start of sawing, it is necessary to decide in what places the image will be connected with the edge of the crown.

To obtain a flat image, the contours of the main pattern are made with a small chisel. Brown ink or paint is poured into them with a fountain pen, then the entire surface of the rosette is polished with a solution of colorless oxide diluted with acetone. The finished socket is glued onto a green canvas. To do this, use glue L 33 or CHS 1200; both will bond any non-fat materials. Before applying the adhesive, the surface is cleaned with acetone, and after gluing, it is clamped in a vice or in a clamping screw for the entire drying time.

When processing plastic relief, a set of drills is required. In order not to damage the socket, it is preliminarily nailed with small carnations to a board measuring 10 × 15 cm. This type of processing requires certain carving skills. To make buttons for brooches, the cornea is cut with a saw into flat planks. The round shape is given on a lathe. The teeth or bones of birds and mammals are treated in a similar way.

Animal horns in the interior

The trophies we got decorated the animals. This must be remembered first of all when processing discarded horns. They must always occupy some special position in our compositions. So, from them hangers for weapons, hunting tools, stands for flower pots, handles for cabinets, handles of hunting knives, buttons, buckles, candlesticks, chandeliers and lamps of any kind look good. It is bad if the antlers, even dropped, are used as clothes hangers or furniture legs. It is also not recommended to use the horn for scenery, as it makes an overwhelming impression.

For the manufacture of hunting objects of applied art, such natural material is always used, the properties and shape of which meet the requirements of a particular object. It is necessary to choose the material taking into account not only the decorative qualities, but also the future purpose and use of the object, which must also be in harmony with the rest of the interior of the hunting lodge or premises. For example, picture frames and photo stands are complementary items that should not distract attention from the picture or photograph itself, but rather emphasize it; therefore, they should be modest, not attracting undue attention, and at the same time they should be in harmony with the main, supplemented subjects.

Now you know how to process the horns. See you soon!

Vos 15-01-2013 06:17

Good afternoon. Ask for advice from knowledgeable people. Moose was caught in the autumn, I took the horns with part of the skull and skin. I scraped the meat and fat between the skin and bone as far as I could. Flipped this one a few times. He removed the old salt and poured new salt between the skull and skin. In the end, everything was well salted and dried. There is some space between the skin and the skull, which is good for me. I plan to drill holes in the bone and stick nuts with washers for the mounting screws into this space. But here's the moment - the edge of the skin is ugly bent and I would like to soak it somehow in order to bend it as I need. How to make the skin soft again and then how to preserve it again?

And one more question: how should we process the ready-made horns mounted on the medallion? Those. maybe sprinkle or spray the skin or skull with something?

Naur 15-01-2013 07:19

The skin initially had to be removed and cured.
The only option is to soak the skin and remove it until it is completely hardened, because. over time, kozheeds will devour. As you find another skin, after dressing, glue it as needed.
Another option is to put a plastic forehead.

Ruslan33 15-01-2013 10:30

The skin is still not enough. But as an option, after shooting the native skin, reduce the frontal bone from the occipital and nasal sides. Then cut out the base according to the shape of the resulting forehead, fix it with self-tapping screws, fill the voids with foam and then just glue the skin and wrap the edges to the base and fix with brackets with using a furniture stapler. Well, if you wish, make a medallion.

taxsidermist 15-01-2013 16:48

I would also advise using a plastic forehead and a medallion.

Ruslan33 15-01-2013 18:09

You can also advise and use faux fur is inexpensive and no one will gobble it up. In the photo of the horns of a spotted deer, the skull is cut down to the maximum, almost only horns remain, the rest of the volume is finished in the way I described above and covered with faux fur on the outside. According to the budget, the entire event will be around 500 r .

Vos 15-01-2013 21:45

Che 100% kozheedy gobble up? Why are they everywhere and nothing can scare them away?

VitMan66 15-01-2013 21:45

The question is not in the topic, you can paint the horns or not?

Vos 16-01-2013 02:47

For example, if I stupidly pour salt between the skin and the skull and hang the horns in this form, will the skin-eaters start anyway?

oos 16-01-2013 08:03

quote: The question is not in the topic, you can paint the horns or not?

taxsidermist 16-01-2013 10:46

oos 16-01-2013 12:10

quote: And you can tint just a cool solution of potassium permanganate.

Ruslan33 16-01-2013 14:18

And for shine, they still wax (do not varnish).

VitMan66 16-01-2013 16:29

Damn it, the horns are cool, and I already smeared them with potassium permanganate. Such horns are no longer subject to measurement?

Ruslan33 16-01-2013 17:17

I can’t say 100% about the Russian rules - you can see trophybook.ru there, according to the method (sci) like this:

Vos 16-01-2013 18:37

Not 100 percent, of course, but 99% for sure, that some kind of reptile will encroach on an untreated skin. Kozheeds generally love salty very much, salt is just a preservative, not an insecticide.

Vlad V 16-01-2013 18:54

Comrades, here is the thing. I have never been a hunter, I got a good elk horn on the occasion with a mount. But! He's fucking white. Those. for some reason, the old owner cleaned it with a brush to whiteness ((Potassium permanganate will restore the color exactly? How else can you return the natural color and appearance?
Give advice, please.

oos 16-01-2013 19:05

Ruslan33 16-01-2013 19:25

quote:

VitMan66 16-01-2013 20:37

ivan44 16-01-2013 20:50

quote: What else can bring back the natural color and appearance?

Vlad V 16-01-2013 20:54

Thanks for the advice, I'll try.

Vos 17-01-2013 12:40

Again, my topic was interrupted:

quote: Originally posted by oos:
Not 100 percent, of course, but 99% for sure, that some kind of reptile will encroach on an untreated skin. Kozheeds generally love salty very much, salt is just a preservative, not an insecticide.

And why then fall asleep there to scare away the reptiles? Maybe sprinkle with borax (brown)?

oos 17-01-2013 07:42

quote: And why then fall asleep there to scare away the reptiles? Maybe sprinkle with borax (brown)?

Don't forget what I explained earlier - the skin (or scalp) is now actually connected to the skull in 2 places - around both horns. The rest is completely separated from the skull and seems to hang down. The surface of the skull under the skin is cleaned. The surface of the skin is also scraped as far as possible.

Ruslan33 18-01-2013 09:10

Remove the skin and dress it, it's not too late.

Vos 18-01-2013 18:43

Damn, what stubborn taxidermists. And how to make out? It is possible in a nutshell the simplest option? Or sit down for the search?

oos 18-01-2013 20:54

quote: What _can_ be done under given conditions (i.e. without completely skinning).

DemaWG 18-01-2013 23:51

there is such a preparation Likva tan, in this case it will come in handy ... it will make the skin without removing it, and for the horns a special dye from my assortment will go ....

Vos 19-01-2013 22:19

quote: Originally posted by oos:

Is it possible to wear pants over the head? Theoretically, YES!
Soaking the skin, separating it from the miserable stub of the frontal bone COMPLETELY and curing it, unless of course the skin is still suitable for this, is the simplest plan of action (don’t ask how to MAKE it).
Well, after all, you yourself chopped off the frontal bone to the very minimum, preserved the skin in such an "elegant" way - when you were doing thoughts, after all, there were some - how to complete this whole thing. Or - on a hunch? "lock up" the trophy and then carry it to the "stubborn" taxidermist: "Do it. You're an artist. Touch up, glue it on." Measure seven times, cut once, that's for sure.

You shouldn't get so excited. Do you ever hunt? I mean real hunting, without guides, rangers, etc. And when you don’t know if there will be a trophy and whether you will be the shooter who took it. That's what I didn't know. Therefore, for me it was a complete surprise and, sorry, we don’t have taxidermists in our group. Someone said "cut out with a piece of the skull, pickle and hang on the wall!" Here it is cut out. And how to do it right - who knows? That's how it is. And note - I did not bring it to you, so there is no need to transfer feelings for your clients here.

oos 19-01-2013 22:46

quote: You shouldn't get so excited. Do you ever hunt? I mean real hunting, without guides, rangers, etc.

Vos 19-01-2013 23:25

Everyone, I understand you. Let's listen to other people who, as it turned out, also have good advice.

Dersu Uzala 20-01-2013 19:57

Don't fool the man's head.
Household aerosols from cockroaches perfectly help against insect attacks (only in the annotation you need to see that they are long-lasting), for example, "Raptor". Processing once a year and NO insect will fly close to the stuffed animal. In any case, for 28 years I have not been approached by an owl (the oldest of all).

Ruslan33 20-01-2013 21:45

quote: help household aerosols from cockroaches

quote: Don't fool the man's head.

Dersu Uzala 22-01-2013 08:58

Although I will join the majority and also advise an artificial forehead and artificial fur

Ruslan33 22-01-2013 14:10

Dersu Uzala, mannequins, artificial eyes, and especially chemicals were and were used by masters not only when I wrote in a diaper, but even long before my and your birth. Take a look at the history of taxidermy in Russia at your leisure. I didn’t say about the use of insect aerosols that you can’t use them, please for preventive purposes. Your work is invisible.

Dersu Uzala 22-01-2013 20:06

quote: Your work is invisible.

I am humble

If everything was so rosy in the USSR, then why are all local history museums full of Pokemon. Including Darwinovsky in Moscow (not the entire range, of course, but there are).

By the way, in the same Darwin Museum in the dashing 90s, I often smelled dichlorvos.

Ruslan33 22-01-2013 20:21

I myself am a museum worker. And I spray every stuffed animal in the exposition with dichlorvos once a month (sanitary day), + we put naphthalene tablets, but again for the sake of prevention. Regarding Pokemon, it’s not as bad everywhere as you think, museums with good leaders and craftsmen acquired good stuffed animals made on papier-mâché mannequins. Our museum has a far from poor collection of large animals made in the late 70s. And Pokemon are also found because the stuffed animal is very old or the animal is rare and the main function of any museum is to collect and then demonstrate to the public. And let's finish this flood, there is a special topic for him. Here the person asked what he should do - "food" for thought was provided to him in 3 versions.

The production of horn and bone products is very poorly developed in Russia, but meanwhile this production is quite possible as a handicraft. This is all the more strange because cattle breeding occupies a very prominent place among us, and material for bone and horn products can be obtained everywhere at a reasonable price.

We have only a few factories in the main industrial centers, but even these factories by no means satisfy all the needs of the population for combed products, since, nevertheless, good combs, taking into account the cheapness of the material, are sold at a relatively high price. Only with the development of handicrafts can we expect a reduction in the cost of this product, which is necessary in every home and family.

Horn and bone products include combs - head, ladies' and combing of various sizes and shapes; cigarette cases, cigarette cases, matchboxes, fruit and book knives; shoe horns and other household items.

materials

For the manufacture of bone and horn products, the most diverse material is used, both available at the place of production, that is, delivered by domestic animals, and partly imported, such as, for example, ivory, walrus, tortoise and gutta-percha.

Horn

The horns that adorn the heads of bulls, buffaloes and other animals are obtained through annual deposits of one upon another horny substance. The horny layers are usually arranged in the form of cones. The horn, as an animal product, consists mainly of albumin, a small amount of gelatin and barely noticeable traces of lime phosphate. The amount of gelatin in the horn is such that the horn can completely soften when heated, and in this form it is convenient to cut it with a knife, flatten it, and in general it is convenient to give it any shape.

The horn is a substance characterized by remarkable elasticity and considerable viscosity, it is well processed by cutting tools. With proper coloring, the horn can be given the appearance of a tortoise, as well as a sharp play of its natural shades.

English bulls deliver a white horn, Hungarian bulls of a mixed and darker color. In general, not only the color, but also the quality of the horn change with the change in the breeds of cattle. The horn of old animals is processed more easily than its hollow part. This is especially important when making tips for chibouks and mouthpieces.

Buffalo horn is valued more than ordinary bull horn for its viscosity and ease of processing. From it you can make handles for umbrellas, mouthpieces and others.

The hooves of horses, domestic animals, cattle and elks are used in the form of thin plywood for gluing watch cases, snuff boxes and other small items that look like tortoiseshell.

The horn of the bison and the rhinoceros is sometimes distinguished by a particularly beautiful appearance.

Four varieties of horn

The horn of Russian cattle breeds is divided into four grades.

The first grade includes large horns of Ukrainian and Cherkasy bulls. They are used in the manufacture of ladies' scythe combs and are preferred for dressing dull combs, because several such combs come out of the horn.

Smaller horns are included in the second grade, from which small ladies' combs and blunt combs can also be made.

Horns from cattle of small breeds belong to the third grade of combed material; small blunt and thick scallops are made from such horns.

Finally, the smallest horns for pocket combs and peasant combs are ranked as the fourth grade.

The best varieties of horn are white horns, which, being transparent, can be faked to look like a tortoise. Medium varieties include those with dark spots and which can also be faked as a turtle. The last variety includes horns with large black spots. Such a horn is completely painted black.

Of the last two varieties of horn, very beautiful specimens come across with black and white spots on a transparent field. Light horn is not always transparent, some of them come across pure white matte spots. Such a horn is very beautiful, but it is poorly imitated as a turtle.

Horn processing

Starting to process the horn, it is necessary first of all to free it from the bone that is inside it. To do this, the horn is soaked in a tub of water for 2-3 weeks, until the meat and films that attach the horns to the bones rot.

When the horns are sufficiently softened, they are taken out of the water and, taking the horn by the sharp end, they hit a tree or stone so that the bone can separate. It should not be hit very hard, otherwise you can ruin the horn, which will result in unwanted cracks. If at the same time the bone does not separate freely, then you can again lower the horn into the water for a while.

After freeing the horn from the bones, it is necessary to cut off its sharp part, which, due to its significant density, is not suitable for combed production. The sawing of the horn is not carried out by external examination, but by measuring its inner part: for this, they take a small twig as thick as a goose feather and put it inside the horn until the stick rests. Then a mark is made on the stick and the horn is sawn off at this mark.

Then follows the transverse sawing of the horn into rings. The width of the rings depends on the purpose of the horn for products, i.e. the width of these products is from 3/4 to 1.5 or more inches when it comes to preparing simple combs. For ladies' head combs, measures cannot be determined, because their size depends on fashion and style.

You can not cut the horns into separate rings, but cut them lengthwise so that one large plate is formed, from which you can cut the required products.

Cutting the horn into rings can be done with a jigsaw or with a saw of a special device. The saw machine consists of a bent iron strip about 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/4 inch wide.

An ordinary saw blade is inserted into this machine so that the strip has a narrow side to the saw blade. The canvas has a length of 1-1 arshins 2 inches; cutting of teeth is fine, divorced very little. When sawing the horn, the worker sets the saw with the bent end of her machine into the hole of the workbench, and he rests his chest on the other end. The saw teeth will then point upwards. The horn is taken with both hands and driven back and forth along the teeth of the saw, trying not to press hard on the saw, otherwise the horn may crack.

This method of mounting the saw, however, has its own practical disadvantages. The saw, at the slightest carelessness of the worker, can slip out, and the very pressing of the chest has a harmful effect on the health of the worker. Therefore, it is more convenient to strengthen the saw motionless to the machine, as can be seen in the figure.

Such an installation can be convenient for sawing not only horns, but also bones. The only difference will be that the saw blade for the horn should be wider and thicker than for the bone.

When the horn is sawn into rings, they must be cut, but only on one concave side. If, when separating the horn from the bone, a crack has formed on the ring, then cutting is carried out along this crack.

After cutting the rings, they are straightened. To do this, the rings are placed in cold water for 1-2 weeks, so that they are thoroughly softened, and then they are boiled. This operation is performed as follows: the ring is placed in a cauldron of water and boiled over high heat until the horn becomes soft enough, and then the horn is taken out of the cauldron and straightened.

The older the horn, the longer it should boil. To speed up the process, it is advised to put a little fat or fat in the water.

Take out the horn with a fork with a long wooden handle, two rings at a time and, putting them on the teeth of the fork with a concave inward, heat these rings over the fire, mainly the outer side of the rings. When, with such heating, the horn has softened sufficiently, which is determined by the skill, then they begin to straighten the horn, which is done with the help of pincers. To do this, the second worker, holding tongs in both hands, takes the heated ring with the tongs of his left hand, inserting one lip of the tongs into the middle of the ring, and with his right hand also inserts one sponge of the tongs in his right hand into the slot made in the ring, compresses this edge with these tongs and unbends the horn, pulling the tongs to the right, while squeezing the first tongs with the left hand, pulls them to the left. Then, moving the tongs towards the middle of the ring, they gradually straighten the ring, repeating such movements until the entire strip takes on a flat look or straightens.

It goes without saying that with such a straightening, the resulting board will not be even, but will present a wavy appearance. For the final alignment, first of all, all the roughness from the surface of the horn is cut off with a knife, and then the plates are heated and pressed again until the plates have cooled down. Pressing is carried out between iron sheets heated so that they do not burn the horns. The pressing itself is carried out in presses of various devices. You can use both lever and screw presses for this purpose. Pressing must be strong enough and quick, otherwise the plates will not be smooth.

The straightened plates are removed from the press, they are allowed to cool sufficiently, and then they start cutting according to the patterns (patterns).

When cutting plates for combs, especially lady's head and frequent combs, it is necessary to cut in the direction of the fibers of the horn, so that the teeth of the comb are along the horn, and not across, otherwise the teeth will break.

The same rule is observed when cutting out simple combs, which are made short and wide.

For toilet and small pocket scallops with a narrow board, the horn plates cannot be cut either in length or in width, because the comb will be brittle. For such combs, the horn is not cut into rings, but after sawing off a dense end from it and cutting it only from the concave side, they level and press a plate from the whole horn, from which combs with an oblique direction of the fibers are cut out. The trimmings obtained in this way are used for small pocket frequent scallops.

To carve out a scallop, it is necessary to put a pattern on the horn plate and outline it with an awl; Unnecessary parts are cut off with a jigsaw.

Marking should be done in such a way that as little as possible is obtained scraps and waste and that the material is not wasted without use.

For the final finishing of the horn plates, they are cut off with a small, very sharp hatchet with a thin blade, and then scraped out with a scraper like that used in cooperage. The most scraping is done on the bench shown in the figure.