Turning raw horn into a glossy handle
Black horn handles are commonly made from buffalo or cattle horn, a by-product of the meat and dairy trades. Horn is keratin, so it softens with heat: craftsmen warm it, press it flat, cut it into handle scales and then sand and polish it until it shines like lacquer. The natural streaks that remain are the sign of the real material.
Sialkot's cutlers have worked horn alongside wood and bone for generations, and vintage Pakistan knives often feature it. On this keychain the horn meets a stainless bolster around a 4.6 cm stainless blade, giving a classic pocket-knife outline in a 6 cm package; among the keychains made in Pakistan in our range, it is the glossiest of the vintage series.
