A few years ago I walked up to Cody Wescott's table at a gun show,
Cody is a custom knife maker from Las Cruces New Mexico. As I chatted with Cody I looked down at the knives on his table. He had several of the loveless style 4 inch drop point hunters. That's one of his standard patterns and he's made them for years. Most of them have Micarta handles , some might have stag, etc.
I noticed that this one knife had a handle that I didn't recognize. When I asked Cody he just started making fun of me. He just goes on and on and make fun of me because I didn't know what that handle material was.
Then when he finally told me I still don't know what it was. That material is oosik. You may know what it is but at that time I certainly didn't know what was.
It turns out that Oosik is fossilized Walrus penis bone. Walrus penis bones can be 2 feet long and longer. Of course I had to have it , once I heard the story I knew it had to be mine.
The other knife in the picture is an ulu, also with a oosik handle.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Very hard bone (can't believe I just said that)....they come in all shapes and sizes too! Benchmade Infidel included for size comparison.

You jerking my chain, Pilgrim?

Never heard of Oosik but then I don't know much about the Walrus either.

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James
On the Llano Estacado

I saw some up in Alaska made into walking sticks.
You need to get out more!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

That's a great looking knife. Drop points are my favorite.

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Dum vivo cano

I guess you meant new word to you. Been around quite a while.

Used to be spelled oosic, but Beijing used to be Peking, things change.

However you spell it, it's the baculum bone found in many mammals. I believe humans are the only primates to have lost them altogether.

Native Alaskans also used the bones of seals and polar bears for handle material in addition to walrus, called them all the same word.

This thread is a test, isn't it?
You know somebody's gonna get some points on this one, dontcha?

I had heard of oosic before, but not of an ulu. (Although, come to think of it, when I was a kid my mom had a sorta ulu looking thing that she got in Italy and used for a while for slicing/dicing up vegetables.)

Here is a brief article on ulus for those with interest: Ulu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Guess mebbe you ain't never seen a bull pecker cane neither.


Somewheres, I got a "booger hook" made out of one from a badger.

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Eccentric old coot

Very expensive too ... simply because it's so dern difficult to get the oosic away from the walrus without him noticing.

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I'm with the banned ...

It seems that many placental animals and primates have a baculum, but humans do not. That's a gyp because I sure could use one.

Oosic makes great handles, plus its an interesting conversation starter with the ladies. Here is one I did with the business end and some damascus and wrought iron for the guard.

I have a stabilized section that's big enough to make J frame grips and probably round butt K frames. One day I'll have it done.

I have a 1902 M&P in 32-20 with so-so jigged bone stocks on it now. This intrigues me, but I would want them checkered and that just seems fundamentally wrong! Ivan

I thought everyone had one, - hanging on the wall, that is

The oosik was prized by the natives of Alaska because they are of an ideal size for a war club. No shaping or carving required, ready made.

Being from a protected marine mammal, their shipment, trade, & ownership is limited to native artifacts, if my memory serves.

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Something about that just ain't right!

Iggy ... That cane is hard on the eyes.

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I'm with the banned ...

I once saw a cane made from a Rinoceros penis. It was over 30 inches long.

Oh yeah ? and just HOW would you work that into a conversation with the ladies ???

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wanna do right-- not right now

Like that? " Its bbeautiful" Rub the handle a little. Feel nice in your hand? "Yes, it so smooth" Know what it is? "No" Answer was followed by a thud as it was dropped on the floor. LOL

I am making one right now for my new lady friend. I don't think it will be a problem. She has a very nice Bobcat fur coat. She trapped and skinned the cats herself. She also has a nice big mountain lion rug. She got it herself. Going to be interesting having a lady who has better hunting skills than me.

lts actually baculum..The penile bone of most placental mammals

Eww...sick...

Pretty lame, I know.

Around here we have a version of that. It's called a "coon prick toothpick". Not quite so exotic but used to be right popular.

Just so I'm clear on this: you are talking about the bone, right?

Otherwise, now that's a conversation starter!

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Whatever floats your boat. I'll stick with rosewood. I know, dull and pedestrian, but I don't get out much either.

Bacula (plural) are used to identify/distinguish between some species of mammals. Those of some rodents are very small and hair like. If you look at a zoological collection and the skulls have a small glass vial with them, it's the baculum for that species.

And we like to imagine that WE are the highly evolved species.

The little blue pill in its original form

"Oosik" is a word in the northern native American's language meaning "the baculun of seals, sea lions, walrus, etc."

The word in English "baculum" is a broader term, but would include all oosiks in it's definition.

As long as we're being picky, that name prolly would be different in Norway, Russia, Greenland, or other parts east.

Had a neighbor where I grew up that carried one. Larry

That's a beautiful knife even with a penis bone handle.

I will not be bidding against anyone bidding on any penis bone auctions.

So where would one buy one of those bad boys???

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Forum consigliere

Oosiks'R'Us ... or Dick's.

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I'm with the banned ...

CL,
Google is your friend. "Bull Penis Canes"

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Eccentric old coot

It's creepy enough to make a drinking mug out of the skull of one's enemies, so it's probably a good thing that humans don't have a baculum....