The manufacturing processes are complex and detailed, that requires essential equipment, experience and skill developed over a period of time, to fully understand and appreciate the differing materials and processes involved, to produce superlative handles either made of horn or wood. A brief summary is produced below.

Ram's Horn

The inner core of the horn is removed. The horn is cleaned with Hyperchloride and left to season for approximately one year.
 
The best section of horn is cut to approximate length depending on which style of handle is being made i.e. Shepherds Crook 16 inches, Market Stick 14 inches, Cardigan Stick 10 inches etc. The aim is to produce a piece of horn that is solid as possible.
 
The horn is boiled for 30 minutes in order to make it supple then placed between two steel plates and tightened in a vice. This process flattens the outcurve; the horn is left to cool.
 
The remaining cavity is filled with a temporary wood or metal dowel.
 
The neck of the horn is then subjected to the "bulking" process. The horn is placed between semi-circular gripping formers or interlocking channel blocks and set in the vice, tightening the jaws so that the horn is gripped securely. Heat is applied to horn which is then squeezed until the formers have closed up or are prevented from doing so by horn which has been extruded in the process. The wood or metal dowel prevents the horn from collapse during the process. A welt of horn may appear between the jaws of the formers, this is removed later. The horn is left to cool.
 
Files and rasps remove excess horn to produce a more manageable shape.
 
The horn is clamped into a "forming" jig, heat is applied to the horn and with the use of sash cramps, "G" cramps and wooden blocks, the horn is forced around the former until the desired shape is obtained.
 
The handle is then smoothed to refine its shape, using rasp files and cloth backed abrasives.

Buffalo Horn

Buffalo horn employs a similar process. However there is no outcurl or inner core that has to be removed. The horn comes in variety of lengths and base thicknesses and has a natural curve in one plane, that is ideal for shaping processes.
 
The horn is cut to basic shape and length depending on which style of handle is desired.
 
The horn is boiled for 30 minutes, which softens the horn and helps to speed up the process of bending with a hot air gun. Heat is then applied for approximately 10 - 15 minutes.
 
The neck of the horn is clamped into a "forming" jig. Heat is applied to the horn and with sash cramps, "G" cramps and wooden blocks, the horn is forced round the former, until the horn is in close contact with the surfaces of the former, throughout the area of the crown. The horn occasionally rises away from the former plate. Should this occur the horn is brought back into alignment by placing a wooden block on top of the horn and securing with a "G"cramp.
 
Excess horn is removed by using files and rasps until the desired shape is obtained.
 
The handle is then smoothed using cloth-backed abrasives and fine grades of wire wool or something similar.
 
Both types of handle are fitted to the desired shank using a metal dowel or adapting the shank to form a wood dowel. The handles are subjected to final polishing using T-cut and Brasso or with the aid of high-speed revolution mops and polishing compounds.

Stag Antler, Sambar Antler, Chital Antler

These materials are bone and cannot be heated or bent to produce handles compared with ram's or buffalo horn. However the materials provide different types of handle such as thumbsticks and staff sticks. The antlers are primarily used to make handles for small horncraft giftware items such as letter openers, cheese, bread, butter knives, cutlery sets, steak sets, spoons, salad servers etc.
 
Sambar has little if any central core or pith and is ideal for walking sticks and horn giftware. Stag and Chital antler does contain a central core which is unstable.
 
With the use of a drill much of the pith is removed without weakening the inside walls of the antler. The remaining cavity can be filled with a hardwood dowel fixed in place with epoxy glue OR filled with resin and left to set.
 
When hard the wooden dowel or resin can be drilled to the same diameter as the pin, which connects the handle to the shank.
 
Experience has proved that all antlers accept final polishing with T-cut or Brasso or with the aid of revolution mops and polishing compounds. Small horncraft giftware handles are coated with yacht varnish that reduces porosity when washing the products.

Cow and Ox Horn

Cow and Ox horn although considered one of the most attractive for colour variation, remains a difficult material to work. The horn is hollow for a good portion of its length. However the last three to four inches towards the tip of the horn is solid material. The horn is prone to de-laminate. Stickmaking and Horncraft adapt this material to make superlative stick handles.
 
All de-laminating material is removed to reveal underlining colour variations.
 
The tapering section is trimmed to a maximum diameter of not less than 1 inch, being slightly larger than the shank that has been selected. The broader section towards the top of the handle is either solid material or may have a cavity. The versatile hollow can be painted, inserted with a decoration (coin, badge, sporting themes depicting fish, gun, dog and pheasant, owl, horse, bear, stag head etc), filled with resin, left to set, then filed and polished. Another method is to simply "cap" the hollow with an exotic wood or buffalo horn. Either of these applications are highly desirable centrepieces.

Wooden Handles

Stickmaking and Horncraft use the most diverse types of naturally homegrown woods and source exotic timber from abroad. Differing woods include: -
 
BURR- Elm, Yew, Oak, Walnut etc. A "burr" is a natural distortion of natural growth on a tree, causing a round lump appearance. Distortion occurs due to infestation of a parasite, that affects the natural growing cycle of the tree. The parasite infection looses, the affected tree wins, thus causing fungal appearance. The "BURR" affects the surrounding wood, causing the underlying grain to redeem the affected area. The result is a contorted piece of wood that contains the most attractive grain patterns, whorls and bird's eye effects. The wood is also stronger and less prone to weak spots.
 
Exotic woods include Bubinga (red hardwood), Cocobolo (rich red and brown), Ebony (black), Purpleheart (purple), Jarrah (pinkish hue-red), Lignum Vitae (brown-black), African Padauk (orange-red), Indian Rosewood (black, red, cream, brown), Walnut, Zebrano. The list is endless. The business has a constant source of supply for these differing woods.
 
Wood handles are hand carved and filed to certain dimensions and shapes.
 
All handles are finished with differing grades of cloth-backed abrasive and wire wool till smooth. Applications of (Danish, Teak or Tru) oil is applied, enhancing the natural colour/grain of the wood.

Resin Based Handles

Amongst the plethora of differing rams/buffalo/stag horn and exotic woods, setting a "themed" based ornamental centrepiece into resin can make especially beautiful/attractive handles. Resin is probably more familiar for making paperweights, however there are practical uses for walking sticks handles. Resin is based on two chemical compounds.
 

Polyester Resin in Styrene, the "catalyst".
 

Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide, the "hardener".
 

The chemicals are mixed and if not used immediately will form a gel like consistency.
 

The versatile hollow in the handle can be painted. The centrepiece is glued into position, filled with resin and left to set. This process can take up to 4 or 5 days.
 

The handle is finished by the normal methods using rasps, files and differing grades of cloth backed sanding material and wire wool. The handle is then highly polished. Finished resin resembles glass.
 
It is important that the right quantities of chemicals are mixed thoroughly. A useful tip is to fill the area with water then pour the water into a small measuring medicine cup. This gives an approximate amount of resin needed to fill the area. As a guide 10ml of "catalyst" is mixed with 0.5ml of "hardener".
 
A range of ornamental centrepieces including pewter badges, fish, deer, owls, bears, etc., jewellery items, shooting and country sport themes, visitor attractions, and coins depicting animals.