If the horn looks funky, dull and flakey, fear not. First soak it in soapy water overnight, which will soften it up nicely, then scrap off the flakey stuff with a knife.  Then use a palm sander or wet/dry sandpaper 120 grit sand until smooth.  Then jump to 240 grit paper till those scratches are gone, then finish with 400 paper or finer.  You can then rub it out with 0000 steel wool for a pioneer finish or continue to rub compound and paste wax for a hand rubbed sheen.  If you have a cotton buffing wheel (preferably clean, not a blacked one from using on metal) on an electric motor, you can get a glassy smooth finish using polishing compound (comes in a waxy bar or stick form) and can skip the rubbing compound and paste wax.  From funky to thing of great beauty just like that!

Boiling a horn in water for a couple hours or soaking it in ammonia for a couple weeks will render it temporarily soft for bending or flattening.   For more information search the web for “working with horn” and go to: www.personal.utulsa.edu/~Marc-Carlson/horn/horng.html

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Boone Trading Company 1-800-423-1945
www.boonetrading.com