Manu Propria - Water Buffalo

[Manupropria]

Today I am showing you a "kiseru" style fountain pen made of water buffalo horn.
Before I made it I was investigting on buffalo horn and read in old books, that water buffalo horn is a very difficult field.
Buffalo horn is a material that extends and shrinks and reacts to humidity and light.
It is said, that water buffalo horn that comes from regions near the aequator is considered the best and most stabile and durable.
So I directly ordered some round bars from a supplier in Sumatra(one good thing about internet)
Now I have to wait and see how this pen is developing. Today I don't dare to carry them in my sales program.
Does anyone has experience with buffalo horn pens?

Thank you

Martin

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[Brisboy]

Beautiful. Hope it proves stable for you. Thank you for sharing your work again.

[Manupropria]

Thank you. I also hope so but am not sure

[drgoretex]

Looks great, Martin.

I have used buffalo horn (North American) before, quite a while ago when I was making more kit pens, so they were turned on a brass sleeve. I ended up having to replace one pen with a pen of a different material because the whole cap split. Presumably this was due to change in moisture or heat (turned in dry, cool Winnipeg, shipped to a hot, area in Korea) and the material being wrapped around an unyielding brass sleeve. I have long been considering trying again with buffalo horn, as I do not use the brass sleeves any more, and expect less risk of splits. I would certainly want to seal and stabilize at least the inside of the pen before inking.

Cheers,

Ken

[Manupropria]

Thank you Ken,
The material contains much oil.
I read that in some trades where they use cow horn the material is cooked to have the oil out. But I guess the oil is what gives the horn the nice tecture and feel. I will look up my many old books and try to find more information.

Thanks again Ken

Best,

Martin