How big is a Bison bone?

[Big Rack]

I saw an add for Bison bones for sale for dogs he farms them and the ad stated that a person might have to cut them smaller.
My question is would a Bison have any bones large and dense enough to use for hand gun grips specifically Ruger Blackhawk and Bisley. I love the look of bone.

[knifemaker]

the upper leg bones may be large enough. If from a older and larger bison, the bones will be somewhat larger then your average beef cow bone. A full mature bison will be over 2,000 pounds and it takes large bones to support that weight.

[MtGun44]

My bet is that pelvis bones would be easily large enough for most handguns, and
you should be able to get a couple of SAA grips out of each femur. A pelvis would
cost a fortune to ship, and a femur might be pretty pricey, too. Probably about
24-30" long and I'll hazard a guess at 20-25 lbs each femur on a big, mature bull.

Can you post the source? I have a new SAA that I was thinking of making grips
for.

Bill

[John in WI]

If you can find it, maybe the shin-bone area would be a good place to look. I made some knife handles from camel shin bone and while the bones are fairly small, they are also flat and angular so they have more useable area.

One thing you're going to love, working with bone, is that it has the EXACT smell of when they drill your teeth. I agree--beautiful stuff (especially when it gets nice and old and yellowed). Just not the most pleasant stuff to belt sand.

[gandydancer]

http://tripleuranch.com/

Triple U Buffalo Ranch
26314 Tatanka Rd
Ft. Pierre, S.D. 57532
605-567-3624


My bet is that pelvis bones would be easily large enough for most handguns, and
you should be able to get a couple of SAA grips out of each femur. A pelvis would
cost a fortune to ship, and a femur might be pretty pricey, too. Probably about
24-30" long and I'll hazard a guess at 20-25 lbs each femur on a big, mature bull.

Can you post the source? I have a new SAA that I was thinking of making grips
for.

Bill

[MtGun44]

Thanks. I may try to get a bone to work into grips.

A friend in South Africa makes custom folding knives and when
he can find it, he likes giraffe shin bones. I have helped him collect
them on his property, and not many are found and not many knives
can be gotten from one bone. They have a grain and nice looking
cracks.

Bill

[Big Rack]

Dayton Ohio Craigslist:Bison grassfed dog bones for sale. Will make a great treat for a furry four legged loved one. All bones are in big bags frozen and in various sizes. Some bones may need cut in half for your pet. These bones are straight from the butcher, and do not have anything added to them. Bags of bones that weigh 8 to 15 pounds and are $2.50/#.

937-56four-02four seven
Www.grassrootsbison.com

I think I'll email or call and ask. And yes bone and antler flat stink.

[MtGun44]

Sounds like they are selling the smaller bones. If a femur is 25 lbs and the price is
$2.50/lb you are talking about a $62.50 bone! Fairly expensive raw material for
grips, but maybe you can get 3-4 sets from a big bone. I may be way overestimating
the weight of a femur.

Bill

[AlaskanGuy]

Well, you can bet if its comming straight from a butcher, its gunna have some excess weight also attached in the way of meat and other scrap....

AG

[Lloyd Smale]

I would have to guess the reason you dont hear of it being done is its probably a very porus bone.

[Big Rack]

I don't know I emailed them and asked if they would suitable. I know somethings bones are big enough years ago at The Guns of August cowboy match the owner of Koval knife supplies, now deceased, had a table full of roughly shaped single action grips made from whte bone. I shold have bought a pair.

[starmac]

I was at a seminole indian deal in florida, the guy there made knives and arrow heads out of buffalo leg bones. I'm not talking about handles, but the blade itself. These were actually nice knives, and sharp. he claimed that cutting meat actually sharpened the knife. I bought an arrow head for a SIL that collected them, but always wished I had bought one of the knives. He claimed the buffalo LEG bone was the only bone he knew of that was suitable for knife blades, and he had trouble getting enough of them.

[waksupi]

Google Boone Trading Company. They may already have them, cheaper than you can make them.

Got it,

http://www.boonetrading.com/Pg14.html

[MtGun44]

Stellar sea cow and walrus jawbone, didn't see any Bison bone SAA grips.

Lots of really nice elephant ivory, certainly not cheap.

Bill