Antlers of animals in the deer family are the fastest growing bone on earth, developing up to seven times quicker than skeletal bone. Most species shed their antlers annually. As a craftsperson, I enjoy merging the beauty of antlers with my woodworking projects to create one-of-a-kind pieces of homemade furniture.
The most gratifying piece of antler furniture that I’ve made is a Native American arrowhead-shaped coffee table. The walnut top, fashioned from a single slab of tree root, highlights the same tight, contorted grain found in expensive gun stocks. The base is composed of antlers from whitetail, mule and axis deer as well as elk and moose. In the center of the table is a 5-inch arrowhead complemented on either side by an inset ceramic drink coaster sporting the profiles of a deer and an elk.
Les A. Davenport
Clayton, Illinois