# Deer Pedicles



## Jgrden (Oct 23, 2010)

What can I do with Deer antler pedicles? I have saved about twenty of them and think they would make nice pendants. What are other ideas. They are too beautiful to throw away or turn into buttons, unless for an expensive coat. 
John in Texas


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## truckfixr (Oct 23, 2010)

They make great rustic looking drawer/cabinet pulls.


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## Jim Smith (Oct 23, 2010)

I think that they would make very nice looking pen stands for desk pens, especially those made from antler.

Jim Smith


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## jskeen (Oct 23, 2010)

To clarify, is what you have the butt end of the shed antler, or the actual skull bone with the antler attached?  Technically the pedicle is part of the skull, where the antler growth begins.  The external, bumpy round part of the antler is the burr.  Anyway, if it is just a flat round disk, the burr makes a very cool looking recepticle for the point of a pen when the other end is supported by a pair of crossed tips or a forked antler on a desk stand.  If it is big enough around, and long enough, I sometimes turn it into the cap section for a desk pen.   In either case, If you can't figure out a good use for them, I'd be happy to trade you out of them.  PM if interested. 

If the antler is still attached to the skull, I always try to saw away enough of the skull to turn the entire section into part of the pen, showing the "skull line" all the way around the blank.  I usually double the price of a pen if I can get a complete joint line to show up prominently.


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## Andrew Arndts (Oct 23, 2010)

well on a bone handled knife they depending on the size good butt end or guard.


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## Jgrden (Oct 24, 2010)

jskeen said:


> To clarify, is what you have the butt end of the shed antler, or the actual skull bone with the antler attached?  Technically the pedicle is part of the skull, where the antler growth begins.  The external, bumpy round part of the antler is the burr.  Anyway, if it is just a flat round disk, the burr makes a very cool looking recepticle for the point of a pen when the other end is supported by a pair of crossed tips or a forked antler on a desk stand.  If it is big enough around, and long enough, I sometimes turn it into the cap section for a desk pen.   In either case, If you can't figure out a good use for them, I'd be happy to trade you out of them.  PM if interested.
> 
> If the antler is still attached to the skull, I always try to saw away enough of the skull to turn the entire section into part of the pen, showing the "skull line" all the way around the blank.  I usually double the price of a pen if I can get a complete joint line to show up prominently.



I looked this up on Google and the pedicle was described as the the knobby part. I stand corrected and defer to your experience, knowledge and expertise.  These are the BURR part of the antler. I cut the main stem from the BURR leaving a half dollar size BURR. The skull is NOT part of the BURR. The BURRs that I have are cut just over the hair line.


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## Jgrden (Oct 24, 2010)

Andrew Arndts said:


> well on a bone handled knife they depending on the size good butt end or guard.


You are right. I have saved a couple butts, or now BURRS with about 6 or 8 inches of main stem on them but I am not a knife maker.  Don't know how.


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## Jgrden (Oct 24, 2010)

jskeen said:


> To clarify, is what you have the butt end of the shed antler, or the actual skull bone with the antler attached?  Technically the pedicle is part of the skull, where the antler growth begins.  The external, bumpy round part of the antler is the burr.  Anyway, if it is just a flat round disk, the burr makes a very cool looking recepticle for the point of a pen when the other end is supported by a pair of crossed tips or a forked antler on a desk stand.  If it is big enough around, and long enough, I sometimes turn it into the cap section for a desk pen.   In either case, If you can't figure out a good use for them, I'd be happy to trade you out of them.  PM if interested.
> 
> If the antler is still attached to the skull, I always try to saw away enough of the skull to turn the entire section into part of the pen, showing the "skull line" all the way around the blank.  I usually double the price of a pen if I can get a complete joint line to show up prominently.



Here is what I learned:

*Parts of a Deer Antler *
*Pedicle: *The base of the deer's antler, where the antler bone meets the head of the deer.
*Beam:* The central stem of the antlers, from which all other points arise.
*Brow Tine: * The first division or point off of the beam.
*Bay Antler:* The second division (or point above the brow tine).
*Royal Antler: *The third division on the antlers (or point above the bay antler).
*Surroyal Antler: *The fourth division or point above the royal antler.
*Fork:* The end of deer's antlers, where the central beam divides in two.
*Palm:* The end of a deer's antlers where the central beam divides into several points, resembling the human hand.
*Crown Tine:* A tine growing at the very end of the deer's antler, the points above the fork or palm.
These terms should help you correctly identify and discuss the different parts of a deer antler.


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## jskeen (Oct 24, 2010)

My experience, knowledge and expertise on deer anatomy and physiology is mostly limited to which parts taste better fried vs which parts make better pens.  I did a quick search to verify my frequently faulty memory as to which part is which before I posted too.  Links to follow.

In any case, I do know knife making, and somewhat less so, penturning.  Knives made with whole antler beams, with or without the bumpy end section are usually called "hidden tang" or "stick tang" knives, as opposed to "full tang" or "flat tang".  The tang is often little more than a stub an inch or so long ground into the back of the blade behind the shoulders for the guard.  This is usually attached to a bolt or rod via drilled holes and pins.  This bolt or rod is usually either epoxied into a blind hole drilled from the blade end of the handle blank, or (in better knives) bent so that it can be fed through the whole handle and secured with a nut on the butt end.  The decorative buttcap can either be epoxied on to cover this nut, or (again, preferably) welded on to it before the nut is tightened down.  Epoxy or other material is still often used to backfill the hole.  

Here's a couple of pics of pen applications.  


and a couple of links for the curious.

http://www.whitetailstewards.com/articlesonsite/deerbiology/antlergrowthandphysiology.htm

http://www.whitetailstewards.com/articlesonsite/deerbiology/antlergrowthandphysiology.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=o0...=0CC4Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=pedicle burr&f=false


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## jaeger (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm glad that I still have some full racks. Thanks for the pictures.


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## Jgrden (Oct 25, 2010)

WOW. I like those pens that are part of the BURR. They are slick. I fully agree with your anatomy of an antler and what I have been saving, is the BURR. I don't cut into the skull. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I need to contact a view of my clients and explain.


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## Frank Nemke sr (Oct 25, 2010)

Sent them to the person that carves eggs.  They make great broaches or pendants stroung on a peice of leather


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## TexasSteel (Oct 25, 2010)

I have sanded flat had names engraved then epoxied a magnet on the other side.


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## Jgrden (Oct 26, 2010)

TexasSteel said:


> I have sanded flat had names engraved then epoxied a magnet on the other side.


Now that is a nice idea. I am going to give that some thought. :wink:


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## TellicoTurning (Oct 26, 2010)

Jgrden said:


> What can I do with Deer antler pedicles? I have saved about twenty of them and think they would make nice pendants. What are other ideas. They are too beautiful to throw away or turn into buttons, unless for an expensive coat.
> John in Texas



John,
If you come up with a good idea, let me know... I have a whole bag full that I've saved for some future project... don't know what yet.


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## Sylvanite (Oct 26, 2010)

TexasSteel said:


> I have... had names engraved...


I hope you tipped your engraver.  If you think turning antler smells bad, try burning it (which is what a laser engraver does).

Regards,
Eric


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## turnsomeantlers (Oct 26, 2010)

*Turn them into closed reed predator call*

The ones you have saved that are 6-8 inches long, buy some cottontail or jack rabbit reeds (about a buck a piece at http://thogamecalls.com/ ) and make predator calls out of them. Just takes some drilling, some sanding and some polishing to turn them into $30-$35 dollars real quick. 

If you venture down this road please post some pics

Good Luck


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## ThePenWizard (Nov 8, 2010)

Buttons, they make great buttons for boots and jackets.


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## TexasSteel (Nov 8, 2010)

Sylvanite said:


> TexasSteel said:
> 
> 
> > I have... had names engraved...
> ...



She has an excellent exhaust system....Although since I usually sell my antler pens it smells like money when  turnning.....


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## Jgrden (Nov 9, 2010)

turnsomeantlers said:


> The ones you have saved that are 6-8 inches long, buy some cottontail or jack rabbit reeds (about a buck a piece at http://thogamecalls.com/ ) and make predator calls out of them. Just takes some drilling, some sanding and some polishing to turn them into $30-$35 dollars real quick.
> 
> If you venture down this road please post some pics
> 
> Good Luck


Good idea for gun shows. :star:


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## Jgrden (Nov 9, 2010)

ThePenWizard said:


> Buttons, they make great buttons for boots and jackets.


They would make great buttons . I like carving them with my Dremel. I have been mounting them onto the leather wallets but they are too fascinating to waste them on that. Your avatar reminds me of Lord of the Rings, why is that????:wink:


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## JohnU (Nov 9, 2010)

I've seen them used to make drawer knobs, bolo's on a string, belt buckles,  and some bow builders use them in take down bows by epoxying screws in them for securing the limb to the riser.  Let your imagination run wild.


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