Skian Dubh-It-Y'Salf

[ozmeath]

I'd probably drill and file the hole in the antler slightly oversize for the tang then bed it in epoxy.
You could try making the hole slightly undersize then boiling to soften it and forcing it on, but I'd experiment on a spare piece first.

Rab

Both seem viable.
When I'm putting a wooden handle on files I occasionally heat the tang and push it into the drilled hole. It seems to burn itself into it but you need to push fairly hard. And that's using pine handles. Do you think this could be a possible method? I've never worked with horn in this way before and aren't to sure how it'd behave. Also I don't want to mess with the temper either.

[bangkok kilt]

Ozmeath

I'm not much of a handy man, but being a biologist I would guess that you could 'burn' into the horn seeing that it is mainly just hardened collagen. However, I can only imagine the stench of the burning horn.

I also don't know about boiling the horn. I'm sure someone has expertise, but it seems like that could leech some of the minerals out of the horn, but I'm just guessing on this.

[TheSp8]

I have boiled horn and pushed the tang in while making patch knives for black powder use. Drill a pilot hole in the horn then boil till the core feels soft. Then all you will need to do is push the knife tang into the horn. Make sure you get it all in the first time as once the horn cools the knife stays in place. Clamping the blade in a vice and using your whole body weight behind the push works real well. I have a couple that have been in frequent use for 7 years or more and the blade is still solidly locked in the horn. The biggest thing is making sure you get a good push to get the tang all the way in the horn. I've used the same technique to redo sharpening steels, put handles on files, and other uses. Old technology is sometimes the best.

YMOS,
Tony

[auld argonian]

The "boiled horn" thing seems like it makes sense...didn't I once see a film where they had to repair the stock on a long rifle by wrapping it in boiled rawhide and letting it dry and shrink? It's always tough to join two materials that have different characteristics...one that's rigid and one that's flexible...even if the difference is small.

Best

AA