Kilt Pin in Red Deer Stag Antler and Burr Wych Elm sapwood, Scottish gift, antler gift, horn gift, wedding gift, best man gift, mens gift

This beautiful Kilt Pin is part of my well established range of Scottish Red Deer Stag Antler and hardwood pieces. The antler itself comes from a Highland Red Deer, a symbol of Scotland. This particular boy lived in the hills above Lairg, Central Highlands of Scotland, a rugged and untouched part of the world. I have left the antler pretty much as the deer made it, only sanding down any sharp or overly high points.
I have capped the antler with someI beautiful, highly figured Scottish Burr Wych Elm sapwood. I harvested this burr from a tree in Balmacara, West Coast of Scotland beside the Isle of Skye and have been waiting for it to dry for a few years now. I have used perhaps over a hundred burrs in my time and this one stood out due to the very clearly defined lighter sapwood to darker heartwood, quite a rare thing indeed. The sapwood is a creamy light brown, has characteristic burr “eyes” and lovely tones of golden iridescence. I sculpt the wood until in joins perfectly and seamlessly with the antler and again smooth off any sharp edges.
To finish i use Shellac and Cellulose Thinners to seal the wood and bring out the true colour. I then polish the piece with two types of industrial wax to give it a deep, long lasting lustre. This method retains the original creamy white colour of the antler without any yellowing as other finishes such as varnish will give. I then attach the pin with three small pop rivets, this gives an ultra secure and professional finish, i could have used glue but i always prefer to over-engineer my products so they last.
I never cease to be impressed by the various, natural shapes that can be found in antler tines and always try to find and incorporate these in my work to make unusual and unique pieces. This one is certainly one of the more striking tines i have come across and would make a fantastic Scottish gift and complement any kilt.
It measures 108mm in length x 18mm at top tapering to 3mm at bottom.
As with all my pieces i have added my “UBC” maker mark, in this case to the back of the pin.