Elk Antler Burr Burnishing Tool or ?

[JSMOSBY]

A buckskinner friend of mine gave me this large burr from a stash of various antlers to make a belt buckle for myself. I think it's an old tool based on patina to include wear and color possibly used to burnish leather, wood, bone or other. Note the bottom side is concave (relieved; looks gouged) while the top is convex for hand palm fit. It fits my hand nicely and would have acquired the polish/feel with much use due to the nature of antler as I'm sure you know. I'd love your input and will probably never make this a belt buckle. Thank you for your time and effort. Enjoy.

[SGT.Digger]

Do you think it’s a semi modern piece used as a tool or something that’s hundreds of years old

[JSMOSBY]

SGT.Digger,
I think its got some age on it. How much I just don't know. It came from the front range here in Colorado which is western end of the plains with the foothills preceding the Rockies. A more specific designation is high desert at about 5000ft above sea level, hot and dry. Good environment for preserving an artifact like this for hundreds of years. I can't afford original artifacts, so I make my own repros and try to "add" a "been there, done that" look so I've got some feel for new versus old with respect to patina materials and processes. That's what prompted my query. It feels like its very old. Thanks for your interest. Take care.

[Garguy]

What does the other surface look like?

[JSMOSBY]

Garguy, I added the convex/skull side as you requested. Sorry about that. Thanks

[Tam]

There is the possibility that a hunter butchered the animal and sawed off the antlers . Not wanting to haul 200 lbs down 5k ft is common . That is the base where all the texture is . How it is so smooth is the mystery .

[Mattern]

Interesting and thought provoking Mosby. We may speculate but we may never know. But thanks for sharing. K

[JEBMs]

The porous appearance in the last pic is usually indicative of a shed antler

[JSMOSBY]

Absolutely correct JEBMs. Did you notice the dark/stained areas on the surface? Could be hand stain/dirt from use. They correspond well to contact areas on my hand if I were using the burr.

[Garguy]

It is a shed and the new pic indicates fairly recent. Not sure what to make of the top side but here is an educated guess...

I suspect it came from a farm raised elk that had his antler sawed off in mid summer before it hardened.. this was left on his head and shed late winter.

[BoilerMike]

This makes sense. I had a roommate whose family raised Elk. The meat was almost a biproduct, the real value was in the antlers which were turned into supplements for Eastern traditional “medicine”. They were harvested like you say, which might leave the stump to scar over before shedding (?). But that makes sense for elk, not sure if the same is done with smaller deer. Can the piece’s specie be ID’d by its diameter? Or enough to rule out smaller antlered deer like whitetail and mule deer?

[Cskelton]

This is a completely natural shed. The patina you see is a result of the elk rubbing his antlers on pine trees or the like. Very fresh shed. Was picked up, still bloody.

[JSMOSBY]

It is a shed and the new pic indicates fairly recent. Not sure what to make of the top side but here is an educated guess...

I suspect it came from a farm raised elk that had his antler sawed off in mid summer before it hardened.. this was left on his head and shed late winter.

That all makes sense to me. I would add that the saw cut top side may have been "gouged/deformed" while the inner pulp was still soft and then naturally polished upon hardening.

[JSMOSBY]

...You know, I just might be making another buckle.... Thanks to all for your comments. Take care.