Horn coloring question???

[quickdrawkinker]

I finally conned my grandpa into giving me the rack off a deer he killed in the 60's, for the last couple of years he has had this massive rack hanging on his carport so it's bleached and starting to crack in a few places. Just wondering what some of the best methods for coloring these horns would be and figured there ought to be a few guys here that would know. I have heard of quite a few different ways, but they all sounded a little scetchy to me. After I get them colored I will post a photo, thanks.

 

[elk4you]

There are several good ways to get the color back into antlers. There are commercial antler stains sold through taxidermy supply companies. You can also use laquer based stains that have been cut with thinner. One word of advice...go slow and build color with repeated coats. Several coats built up look much more realitstic than one thick shining coat.
Good luck,

Josh

 

[kilowatt]

Saw a young kid back in 1981 up in MT find a big 6x6 Bull that had been laying out in the weather at least 2 years.
He left his dad and us and carried it back to his vehicle and by the time we had got back to the ranch later that day, he had it mounted on a piece of plywood and skull cap cover with of all things some fuzzy material. But the rack looked like it was a recent kill as he took Brown Shoe Polish the wax type and covered the entire rack. He let it set for a bit than wiped the excess off and buffed the tips to make them white. Pretty good for a redneck goat roper I have to admit. The kid wasn't too brite, but he sure made that rack look awesome hanging there on his dad's wall in the house.

Brian