Polishing horn.

[Limbit]

I just use a razor blade. Looks perfect when finished short of putting a coating over it.

[mikekeswick]

If you are going to put a finish on it then DO NOT polish/buff your horn.....
Go to 400 grit paper. You now have a surface with fine scratches in it that will give the finish some tooth to bond to.
If you go finer your finish will come off every time.
Don't worry about 400 grit scratches showing once finished - they won't!
The varnish will make the horn shiny.
Even if you use a dull finish oil wait till you have the bow fully finished with all your finish coats then buff up the horn with a beeswax furniture polish.
Go to a pro car spray shop and ask them what grit they sand a bare body to.
DO NOT buff/polish horn/wood/anything else that is going to get a finish on it - you are just wasting your time!

[JW_Halverson]

If you are going to put a finish on it then DO NOT polish/buff your horn.....
Go to 400 grit paper. You now have a surface with fine scratches in it that will give the finish some tooth to bond to.
If you go finer your finish will come off every time.
Don't worry about 400 grit scratches showing once finished - they won't!
The varnish will make the horn shiny.
Even if you use a dull finish oil wait till you have the bow fully finished with all your finish coats then buff up the horn with a beeswax furniture polish.
Go to a pro car spray shop and ask them what grit they sand a bare body to.
DO NOT buff/polish horn/wood/anything else that is going to get a finish on it - you are just wasting your time!

Well now that you tell me, it suddenly became blatantly obvious.  Sheesh, why didn't I think of that?  Thanks, Mike.

[bigcountry]

When I turn down water buff horn for pen making, I polish it to a mirror finish.  To do this, I get micromesh sanding kit that goes down to 12000 grit.  You really do not want to use CA finish, because it will not take well.  You want to use neatsfoot oil on it to keep it from cracking.