Antler cleaning

[Jessie]

I havea nice antler rack from my Alaskan brother in law that I never met.
From S.C. and went NW to work the pipeline.
He shot the moose in the late 60’s early 70’s.
He carried it on the roof of his Karman Ghia from Fairbanks to Anchorage.
He was killed in a car wreck on the Anchorage/Fairbanks road.
It’s been in his Moms attic for 40+years and has “ patina”.
Should it be cleaned and if so, how!

 

[KalamazooKid]

I have a moose rack and have found that furniture polish works great! Something like Lemon Pledge. Get it into every nook and cranny.

 

[Jessie]

How’s about a renaissance wax party?

 

[Jessie]

But really, is there a way to clean them?
40-50 years of attic dirt.

 

[hittman77]

Call your local taxidermist.

 

[walter o]

why not soap& water and a soft bristle scrub brush?After all the Deer wear them in the rain

 

[k22fan]

While the deer and moose are carrying antlers through the rain antlers are live growing tissue with blood circulation. After 40 years antler is very different than when it was alive. I hope his moose rack is bone dry. (oops! an unintended pun) The common problem is damp storage which inevitably grows mold. When there is mold most of the organism is below the surface in the form of root like filaments. Dust and dirt I can wash off with mild soap and a soft brush. Killing mold below the surface is a problem. I'd like more experienced members to write how they kill mold.

 

[Jessie]

It’s been dry with no mold that I can determine.

 

[OFT II]

Try toothpaste and a toothbrush. It takes a few minutes but works well for me.

 

[glowe]

Soap and water. Do not use anything that you do not rinse off. While furniture polish is often tried, it only rubs the dirt into the antler and helps glue it in the crevices when dry. The goal is to completely remove the dirt and detergent, then let it dry.

Protection has long been a discussion with taxidermists. In the old days, antlers were varnished. They looked great for years, but as the varnish aged, the varnish turned yellow and discolored the mount. I have actually used paint remover to get the stuff off of some mounts. My recommendation today is to use boiled linseed oil. It penetrates and seals the surface making dusting and cleaning easy. Wipe it on and wipe excess off with clean rag after an hour. Like a fine wood stock, BLO can be reapplied every few years if needed to keep the antlers looking fresh and clean.

 

[Rule3]

How to Clean Deer Antlers: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow


There are a gazillion web sites on how to and I am not an antler collector.