Hardening bone points

[Scowler]

Has anyone out there used fire to harden bone points?  Would using fire harden the point in the same way it hardens wood points?

[turtle]

I have never made any bone points yet, but i seem to recall a discussion on here about fire hardening the cutting edge on bone and final sharpening with fine sandpaper.

[lostarrow]

 If you cook them /boil them it removes the oils that make them flexible. They sharpen up real nice after that. They do get more brittle though.

[crooketarrow]

   Your right boiling will make them brittle if done a lot.
     I can't say about other bone but I've fire harden moose antlers then made heads from it. I've also harden heads areally made. In the fire and in the oven at high temps and prolonged time. This will not burn the edge off heads aready made.
     But I could'nt see any difference either way. HARDEN OR NOT HARDEN. I'm not even sure fire will harden any bone. I will burn but if it would harden I'd think theyed fine a lot more bone in fire pits than they do. That just little bits and peices.

[Scowler]

Good point, crooketarrow about not finding any bone arrowpoints in firepits.  Although, just how many ancient bone points have been found at all?  I don't plan on boiling them, just using a candle flame to singe/darken the outside.  If it will not hurt the bone I'll proceed.  Any and all input is appreciated.

[JackCrafty]

If the heat applied is hot enough to cause the bone to become discolored, it will weaken the bone.  Same goes for antler.

[madcrow]

I have been cut a few times by arrowheads and knives made from raw bone as well as boiled bone.  I even woke up once with my bone arrowhead neck stuck in my neck.  Either my wife was sending a message, or i rolled over on it.  It didn't take long for me to dull that point.

[Scowler]

Thanks for the input, jackcrafty.  Maybe I won't heat up those points after all.  I did "antique" them by soaking them in coffee for a few hours.  If that weakens them I can always make some more.

[bubby]

maybe you can soak them in super glue?

[JackCrafty]

As long as they are dry, coffee stain will not weaken them.

Super glue is really good stuff.  Soaking bone it in should work well.  I haven't tried, it though.

[bubby]

I know super glue works real good on sharpened shaft points, I heat treat the tips and soak in ca, makes them tough

[crooketarrow]

   I don't know if this will help but I used it on wood shoots for arrow shafts that were a solf wood. Elmers makes a wood harder and it will make solf wood shafts harder. But you might try soaking them in that and see what happens. It will work on wood shoots. It for rotten woods.
  Take noise just how hard the heads are before there soaked. I would think heating the elmers up but in and keep it warm as the heads soak. For how long you'll just have to try take one out let others in longer take another out and so on. But I'd think you could'nt soak to long.
  But moose antler dos'nt need harding. It dose really good like it is. But I be interested if you try the elmers harder.

[sleek]

I have had a bone knife I made blister while heat treating the edge. Dont recon I will do that again. And all the area tat was discolored from the heat applied, flaked off very easy.

[Matt G.]

I have a steer leg bone that I plan on slow boiling to get all the meat and oils off of it. Will this weaken the bone do you think or will it be ok? I like the super glue idea. I split the leg bone long ways to remove the marrow and am going to cut it in half cross ways to fit in the stock pot. Knuckles and all. Any pointers would be appreciated.

Ps. I 'm sorry if I hijacked this thread!!!!

[JackCrafty]

Boiling will get the meat off but not the oils.  Split the bone first and scrape the marrow out, then wash with detergent before you boil it.  Leave it in the boiling water just long enough to soften the meat so it can be scraped off.  The longer you leave it boiling, the weaker the bone gets.  Less than 30 minutes is best.  Wash with detergent after boiling too.