horn snuffbox (buffalo). im just wondering what the best ways to restore it a little are, it has wear on the outside (and a mostly worn off pattern) and i was wondering if i should wax it or coat it with something? ill post images when i can get them. perfect for my low usage. Images for reference-

no one?

I would think renaissance wax would work well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance\\_Wax Bees wax or pipe wax, I use bees wax on my wood snuff box because I like the smell, but I use renaissance wax on my firearms. San Francisco is very foggy and salty and steel will rust easily

I would think wax would help the horn from drying out, horn does seem to crack with age, which I guess is from drying out

ill try getting some beeswax or something. i remember great difficulty getting hold of paragon and halycon in the uk when i was looking for it to use on pipes, so ill try get some renaissance wax and then i can try it on my pipe too (if i ever find it/get another). i can apply beeswax by hand right?

images up, apologies for size, not sure how to make them smaller.

Nice find Most of the horn boxes I have are brittle, mostly translucent.you found a good thick one. Almost looks like a papier mache or bake lite box. If you know someone with a buffing wheel that should clean up nicely, you can put any finish you like on the outside ,Polyurethane, lacquer, Ect. Butcher Block wax will work also

looks like horn to me, most horn things are made from cow or cattle horn which tends to be pale though there are dark ones, most other horn (like buffalo horn) tends to be dark.

yeah, its buffalo horn, apparently from c.1885. its little and i suspect perfect for my daily use.

Great looking little snuff box! Other than the wear of course. But I think it should clean up nicely.

ill try getting some beeswax or something. i remember great difficulty getting hold of paragon and halycon in the uk when i was looking for it to use on pipes, so ill try get some renaissance wax and then i can try it on my pipe too (if i ever find it/get another). i can apply beeswax by hand right?

I used a hair dryer on my wood box to warm it up first, renaissance wax does spread more readily though

My first choice would be Renaissance Wax as it is used for preservation of such objects. Used by museums worldwide and in fact, developed by conservators for just such purposes. Manufacturer: http://www.picreator.co.uk/index.shtml Beeswax would be my second choice.

As far as I’m aware, although it is very good for preserving items which are not intended to be used, Renaissence Wax is not foodsafe. I personally wouldn’t use it on a snuffbox I was going to use

I seriously doubt that a significant amount (if any) would be transferred to the snuff and would probably not be considered toxic even if it did. Applied to surface and buffed off forming a fairly hard and durable finish. Seems there would be more concern with the plastic containers used to store snuffs. Where do you get information that it is not food safe? Very definitive statement there. If that much of a concern then please just use beeswax. I would have no problem using Renaissance Wax. @50ft_trad

My basis for this is based on people using RW for protecting carbon steel knives in storage, with warnings of not using them for foodstuffs or hunting etc unless thoroughly cleaned beforehand. I appreciate it’s a very different circumstance, but I believe that as snuff is consumed the way it is, that it should be treated as dilligently as food. In short, I have not seen conclusive proof that it isn’t foodsafe, but neither have I seen evidence that it is foodsafe either. Personally I would be happier with an alternative in a snuff box.

Here’s a link to the MSDS for microcrystalline wax: http://www.prochemical.com/MaterialSafety/Waxes/Microcrystalline%20Wax.pdf I have no opinion on what to use for the box, but you can read the data sheet and make your own conclusions.

it doesnt look to be of any concern, ive done a bit more research, and i could use it on my pipe (if i ever find it/get a new one lost mine) if i need to. if any nasal irritation occurs ill just switch and use beeswax.

what does everyone recommend for getting rid of the damaged surface? i plan to just wax over it as is after a clean, but if theres a reasonable way to sort the damage i may try it.

@Firestarter What kind of damage is it?

looks like the outer layer is peeling/cracked due to something. i havent ever dealt with horn before so im not sure.

I would use water-thin superglue to stabilize the cracks. You want to get some from a woodworking supplier. The stuff from the hardware store is usually not thin enough to penetrate cracks well. You’ll have to clean it up with files or sandpaper and then polish it with finer and finer sandpaper, and then wax it. It’s a bit of work and you’ll have to be careful you don’t get glue where it’s not wanted(hinges!), but you will give the box quite a bit more serviceable life.

waxed up, beeswax. didnt use glue, but it seems to have worked ok. got a wooden box too, waxed the hell out of that and it took it well, nice and shiny now. im not sure the horn box took the wax too well though… it didnt go as shiny as the wooden one, in fact it hardly changed. ill take pictures tomorrow when i can use my girlfriends camera.

Horn, with firedrac in- Wooden, with WoS Banana-

@Firestarter0 you can put some 2 part epoxy on those troubled areas and shape it with a razor blade and a assortment of fine sandpaper. Sorry to tell you for this repair you will need to strip off the wax

Good evening Firestarter0 What happened to the hinge of your wooden snuffbox? It seems to have cracked or lost a sliver of wood. By the way, do you know the origin of your wooden Box? I was recently offered a Lot of 14 identical boxes from an old tobacconist in Switzerland. Brand new, manufactured in the French part of Switzerland in the 1930’ies (Jura Region). The Gentleman told me, that the boxes had been manufactured by inmates of the local prisons at the time and sold in bulk to the Swiss tobacco industry. The latter was quite considerable in the last century, and even today you can see large tobacco fields and the typical drying sheds with open walls in the plains of the river Broye-Valley. The horn layer coming of your horn Box is quite normal and comes from the drying out of the horn used. Perhaps you have seen cracked fingernails Peeling off? As far as I know, there is not really much you can do, except perhaps soaking ad heating the individual pieces and then repressing/reshaping the entire box. You have a 70 percent chance of ruining the box in the process. regards Patrick B. Ludwig p.s. Let me know if anybody is interested in these boxes, I might consider parting with some. PBL

could you highlight what you mean about the hinge with an image? im not sure, i dont see any cracks/missing wood, though theres some wax buildup i got lazy with, trying to buff wax in that turns to diamond the moment it sees you coming with a cloth is a bit of a pain. no idea of the origin. how much for your boxes?