In my meager experience antlers are all different.
Whitetail is different from blacktail etc.
Elk, large and impressive as they are, is pretty poor actually.  It has 
a great deal of marrow and only a thin veneer of solid bone.

  Antler tips are always solid bone though. The last 4 inches or so, but 
merely small.
  Barely wide enough for a bridge saddle.

   For pistol grips Sambar stag from India is used. This is the only 
antler large enough. They are very large at the "button" and quite 
straight. European red deer has beautiful textue but they are scarce now.
   Regular domestic stag is used for small knife and tool scales. Great 
care in layout must be used to avoid cutting through to the marrow inside.

   For full round knife handles, they are roughed out for length and 
then some penetrating solidifier used on the marrow, for strength. I use 
thinned lacquer.
    Thin it very thin and eyedropper or spoon it on.
  Then add more laq to thicken it a bit, and use that.
More laq and now its getting thick.
  The marrow will get quite solid in the end.

Shinbone from any old cow or water buffalo is usually what is used in 
guitar bridges and saddles. Any butcher can help you there.  Elk 
shinbones are particularly large and solid.

   To prepare bone for use, the old recipe is boiling said bone for an 
hour or more in a soapy solution. Then sealing up in a jar of clean 
gasoline for a week.

Buuuuuutt

   Currently you can get bone nut and bridge saddles, perfectly 
prepared,  from China (Ebay), at about 10 sets for 5 dollars, free 
shipping.
It takes at least a month to get them, but nobody is cheaper.

  To color either bone or antler is a closely guarded trade secret.
The only one I personally know is for greenbone. A beautiful greenish 
brown.
  For this take regular asphalt wood stain (walnut, ebony oil stain, 
etc) and slather it on.  Then take a heat gun (or a torch if you don't 
have a heat gun), and heat it. It will kind of sizzle and dry up. It 
takes several coats done this way to actually penetrate and stay on.
  It smells pretty foul so outside on a calm day is best.

These two are both local blacktail antler. Small knife is greenbone.
  http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/knifepix/myknives.jpg
   yours Scott

-- 
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    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
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