Staining antlers w/ potassium permanganate

[wooly]

This is probably the most realistic way to color old antlers I've found.

Very cheap and easy- just mix the granular powder with water and brush it on your old bleached horns. When the solution dries and changes color, hit it with a ball of steel wool to bring out a shine and some highlights.

You can find it on Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/KP02N-Greensand-Filter-Regenerant-Pounds/dp/B00HVX4HUI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519589407&sr=8-2&keywords=POTASSIUM+PERMANGANATE

Here's a weathered old sun bleached antler I did this morning in a matter of 10 minutes. I'm sure I'll come up with a few other applications for this stuff on some of my other projects.

 

[stubborn1VT]

Very cool Wooly!  Looks much better.  Potato pomegranate-- why didn't I think of that?

[wooly]

42 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

Very cool Wooly!  Looks much better.  Potato pomegranate-- why didn't I think of that?

I've still got some experimenting to do with layering the solution for darker coloring effect..., blending the transition areas on the main beams.., and somehow polishing it to bring out a more natural look. I'll keep messing with this one to see just how far I can go with it since it still looks a little "flat" to me.

I'll follow up with some updated pics if I stumble upon anything that really brings it back to life. I'm going to add some different stains and finishes to the antler on top of this stuff to see if I can really make it pop! 

Although it looks 10x's better than what I started with, I just don't think it looks as good as it could if I put a little more time, effort, and thought into it.

[stubborn1VT]

It does look 10x better.  I admire your willingness to experiment on these projects.  So much trial and error!

[grampy]

Any time you put time, effort, and thought into something. It comes out looking pretty darn good!