GB2257155A - Method of treating animal horns. - Google Patents

Abstract

Animal horn is treated by applying heat and pressure so as to improve the texture, appearance and durability. The method is particularly applicable to treatment of sheep horn for use in marking artefacts.

Description

METHOD OF TREATING ANIMAL HORNS The present invention relates to the use of animal horns or tusks in making artefacts, for example statues or ornaments, or items of stationery such as paperweights or stamps. The invention relates in particular to a method of treating animal horn.

Traditionally ivory from elephant tusks has been used to make small artefacts, and is much sought after because of its pleasing appearance, durability, and becasue it lends itself to high quality detailed carving. However, for reasons of nature conservation trading in ivory has now been banned, on the basis that it is wasteful to kill an elephant just for its ivory.

Other natural products are now being used as substitutes for ivory, in view of the public demand for natural products. In particular use is being made of the horns of other animals which are being slaughterea for their meat.

The most common substitute is cow horn. Cow horn is particularly suitable because cows are slaughtered in large numbers, and the horns would otherwise be simply discarded.

Also, it is desirable to use horns of relatively large size, bearing in mind that only a small par of a horn actually has a texture suitable for carving to make a finished product, with most of the horn not being usable. Cow horn has a completely different appearance to ivory, being black in colour. Cow horn is not as prized as ivory, firstly because there is no scarcity value attached to cow horns, and secondly because the appearance of cow horn is generally not as attractive as that of ivory.

A less common substitute for ivory is sheep horn. This is less common because so much of the horn of a sheep is unusable, with only a very small part of the sheep horn being of suitable texture and quality to allow carving.

The present invention provides a method of treating animal horn to improve the texture, appearance and durability thereof, the method comprising applying heat and pressure to the animal horn to improve the texture thereof, and preferably applying a lacquer to improve the appearance and protect the outer surface.

The method is particularly applicable to sheep horn, allowing much more of the sheep horn to be usefully used.

The method will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, one particular sequence of method steps according to the invention in which a sheep horn is used to make stationery stamps. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheep horn; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a stationery stamp made from the sheep horn; and Figures 3, 4 and 5 show intermediate stages in the production of the stamp shown in Figure 2 frcm the horn shown in Figure 1.

Referring initially to Figure 1, it will be immediately appreciated that very little of the sheep horn may be usefully used for carving in the traditional manner. Much of the sheep horn has a very thin brittle shell-like texture, and i of curved shape and has a rough surface texture with many impurities. Only that part of the horn marked "A" is suitable for carving.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be appreciated that stationery stamps as shown in the drawing and having a r-igh quality texture and otr appearance would be impossible to produce from the horn as shown in Figure 1 tying traditional carving methods, except in the case of very large sheep horns.

Referring to Figure 3, the section of sheep horn marked "A" in Figure 1 is cut out from the horn and is flattened by a pressing operation, to produce the piece of horn shown in the drawing. The remainder of the horn is discard.

Referring now to Figure 4, the piece shown in Figure 3 is cut into identical blocks of sheep horn. These blocks have a relatively coarse grainy surface and may include structural defects such as 'r.ternal cracks or bubbles.

Referring now to Figure 5, each block is submitted to repeated steps of application of heat so as to soften the material, and application of pressure so as to shape the softened material, so that the block is gradually changed to the cylindrical shape shown at the bottom of Figure 5. The precise number of heat and pressure steps, the temperature applied and the pressure applied will depend on the texture and quality of the sheep horn. The minimum temperature needed to produce softening is approximately 80 e C and the minimum pressure required to produce reshaping is about 500 kg. After each step the work piece is water quenched. Generally speaking gradually higher temperatures and pressures are applied at each successive step.The overall effect is to remove defects such as cracks and bubbles, to slightly increase the density, and to change the colour to a transluzent brown colour of pleasing appearance.

The shade of brown can be x.lried by varying the temperature applied.

After applying heat and pressure, the next step is to cut one end of the cylinder using a lathe so as to provide a domed end.

After cutting the domed end, the next step is to polish the surface of te domed cylinder.

After polishing, the next step is to coat the domed cylinder with a lacquer. This coating is applied by dipping the cylinder in a lacquer, and then standing the cylinder upright with the domed end uppermost so that the liquid lacquer flows lengthwise down the cylinder to provide a smooth e--en finish.

The final step is to cut the flat end of the domed lacquered cylinder so that the cylinders are all of identical length, and to then seal the cut end.

The end product delivered by the manufacturer is a batch of domed lacquered cylinders of identical length and of pleasing brown translucent appearance. The purchaser can then carve the flat end of the cylinder with the required insignia, represented by "ABC" in Figure 2.

The method described above is carried out in a high humidity atnosphere, typically in excess of 80% relative humidity, so that the horn does not become brittle and liable to crack.

Claims (5)

1. A method of treating animal horn to improve the texture, appearance and durability thereof, the method comprising applying heat and pressure to the animal horn.

2. A method according to claim 1 employing temperatures in excess of 80 C and pressures in excess of 500kg.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 carried out in a series of steps, with the work piece being water quenched after each steps.

4. A method according to any preceding claim in which a lacquer is applied to the horn after application of heat and pressure.

5. A method of treating animal horn substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Any novel combination or sub-combination disclosed and/or illustrated herein.