Here's what Will B apparently prefers. My guess is metatarsal.

https://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2010/11/dem-bones-dem-bones-dem-deer-bones.html

But of course fashions come and go on this sort of thing. Some years the metatarsal is in favor, and then a few years later it's considered a bit old-mannish, with the younger set preferring the metacarpal.

 

Deer bone you see has the appropriate density and the natural oils to smooth the rough surface of waxed calf without damaging it.

A few questions for those that do this.

How fresh does the bone have to be? For the "natural oils" to be present, it's gotta be pretty recent, no?

I didn't know bones had oil within. Is this supposed to be marrow? That leg is gonna reek.

The grain on any fresh bone ought to be tight. Wouldn't the surface finish of the bone and the pressure applied be more important than the density? Seems like any bone of an appropriate condition and smoothness ought to work for burnishing.

Any reason you couldn't use a hog shank? Or an antler tine? Ceramic sharpening rod? Just trying to understand the specifics-Thanks.

 

Actually the best way to treat them is with the Coccyx bone from the South African Wildebeest - after marinating it in a solution consisting of the sweat of a Paupa New Guinea Treehugger and the tears of an Icelandic Unicorn.

Either that, or you could use some kind of Cordovan Cream (something that nearly every shoe manufacturer in the world recommends) and save the bones for your beef shank soup - and as a treat for Fido.

 

Great video. Will sure has an awesome blog. Not sure if I would use a deer bone though. My $$ is still on the MacMethod.

 

A few questions for those that do this.

How fresh does the bone have to be? For the "natural oils" to be present, it's gotta be pretty recent, no?

I didn't know bones had oil within. Is this supposed to be marrow? That leg is gonna reek.

The grain on any fresh bone ought to be tight. Wouldn't the surface finish of the bone and the pressure applied be more important than the density? Seems like any bone of an appropriate condition and smoothness ought to work for burnishing.

Any reason you couldn't use a hog shank? Or an antler tine? Ceramic sharpening rod? Just trying to understand the specifics-Thanks.

Having been around a lot of animal bones, I think these deer bones are meant to last a VERY long time for the job of "boning". In fact, I'd guess a fresh one would be undesirable unless the various insects and rodents attracted to rotting marrow are an important aspect of this "boning" process.

As for oils, I know of no natural oils in dead and dried bones. My guess is the oils mentioned are oils picked up either from the footwear being boned, or applied to the bone prior to the boning.

I also plan on putting the word out this fall that I require several deer bones for a project. Hopefully my free deer bones also come with some smoked venison. :icon_smile_wink:

I like the antler tine idea. You would need a very smooth section though, as normal stag antler may be too rough to smooth the leather. You know, a really big turkey drumstick bone would probably also work.

andy b.

 

^In the video, she stated that the bone was "infused" with oils.

 

Thanks, Andy B and Billdo. That makes sense; either infusion or anointing.

 

Well, I take delivery of my first bone today. I have never dressed a deer, Or any animal for that matter, I do enjoy dressing myself however. Any ideas on how to get rid of the meat and fur that will be attached? Boiling water would do the job one would think?

Perhaps I should see if there is a ask andy about hunting site?

 

Depending on the cut, you can probably use a sharp knife to cut down to the bone and loosen the overlying tissue--wear gloves, it will be slippery and you can easily cut yourself. I'm not sure about boiling--you might boil out the oils we're looking for. I'll probably farm out the work to my Golden Retrievers--give the boys several to work on and choose one when it looks ready. Might want to park it on an ant hill for a few days and let the little guys clean out the marrow cavity while it air dries in the sun.

 

I have 2 goldens myself, But they always seem to eat the whole bone. Not my objective here.

 

Use the skull for best results.

 

That would be our terrier! Give her a bone and watch it disappear either all at once or crunched down into swallow-able bits. Either way she gets an upset tummy. Actually if you really want to clean a bone, the anthill method is easiest. Otherwise soaking for several weeks in a detergent solution will work but it stinks. Frankly, if I really had to go organic on this, and I have my doubt that it's really necessary, I'd check out antler 'sheds' online. They're really easy to come by. Whitetail antlers are much smoother than red stag. However, cynic that I am, I'd just go to the pet store and pick up a Nylabone™.

 

As long as you had a way to prevent larger animals (larger than insects and mice) from hauling the bones away, I'd also think letting it set outside somewhere would be most desirable. If you've ever come across bones in the woods they are stripped clean quite quickly. I don't see why boiling wouldn't work to get most of the material off. When my wife or mom makes chicken soup the bones seem to come out relatively clean. There will still be the issue of the marrow needing to be dried somehow.

andy b.

 

Or you could just buy one online. They've got 'em on ebay for $6 shipped. There's probably been a run on them since this was posted.

You might want to carefully inspect it for nubs or sharp edges before you rubbing it on your shoes. Take some sandpaper to it if necessary.

 

Google is your friend. Boiling is thought be some to weaken the bone too much, but others use it. Here's an overview.

https://archlab.uindy.edu/documents/CleaningBones.pdf

Another option is acetone.

 

Bought the eBay one. Just wonder if its been treated so as to remove whatever magic oil it has for shell polishing. I will report. It looks like what was used in the video.

 

Using a deer bone on anything other than waxed calf is pointless and useless - stick to a soft cloth and Venetian cream for shell.

 

FWIW I got a deer bone and tried it. It didn't do much of anything for shell. My shell shoes don't seem scuff like calf, anyway, so I don't know what you'd expect it to do. It doesn't lift out scratches. Maybe it could do something for the creases, but I never had a problem with that anyway. Always just used a coarse rag on them. The bit about oils...yeah, there are no oils. That's silliness.

Though, the deer bone did seem to work well to improve scuffs on my weejuns. The ones I have are made from regular (albeit cheap) dark brown calf rather than the corrected grain stuff. Not sure I'd rub it on light colored shoes.