Our orders will start arriving early next year. Well, some were probably carved from wood, but the most useful and plentiful material available was frequently the cast-off antlers of deer, and the horns of cattle and sheep. Since my first visit to Scotland I have been looking for an artisan who works with horn in the tradition of the early Scots. Bill Steele in Aviemore makes traditional implements using the techniques that Scots have used for many centuries. That's how those clever ancestors of ours made quaichs, cups and spoons.
Hot water softens the sheet of horn which is then molded.
When it's cool it holds its shape indefinitely. A thin strip would make a spoon, a wider one a cup or quaich or a small bowl. Pieces could be carved for jewelry, buttons or for knife handles. We have ordered a number of Bill's things. I'm particularly excited about the Walking Sticks - rich native woods, topped with antler.