I have some red stag antlers that I found that are about a year old (dead stag). They are in great shape except they have faded.

Recommendations on oils, finishes, etc. to make the look like they just came off the animal for a sheild mount?

Can you post a picture or two? This can be very easy or hard depending on the condition. Quality antler repair is one of the hardest things in taxidermy I have ever learned. It can be done though.

I am interested in an answer as well. I have a Stag that died this last year. His antlers could use some help.

I am sure we would all benefit from anyones experience and recommendations on how to re-stain antlers anywhere from mildly faded to completely white and slightly pourous.

To touch up the luster of antlers that are only slightly faded with no cracks such as on a mount, the old stand by is a 50/50 mixture of terpentine and linseed oil. Rub some on with a cloth and rub off the extra, It does not take much. There are products avilable from taxidermy supply companies that will work too.

Completely restoring antlers (like bleached out sheds with cracks and chips etc..)to look like new is a much more difficult process. Basically if you try to stain antlers that are pourous and cracked, they will soak up the stain and be way too dark.

There are different methods but here is one way of restoring antlers that have been laying in the sun a long time and are cracked and pourous:

Repair, fill, and texture large cracks, chips, rodent chewed tines etc.. with a two part epoxy putty. Completely seal the antlers with at least two coats of a good latex primer like Kills. Before painting on the primer, tint the white primer with some other colors like yellow and brown to get a bone or ivory tone that matches the lightest shade of an antler. This will seal all the little cracks and prevent the stain from soaking into the antler. Let this dry well. Make sure there are no exposed cracks that could soak up stain.

Now the fun part. Get a bunch of different stains like minwax rub on stains in walnut, golden oak etc.. the technique is to rub on the stain and then wipe most of it off. The burr area will be darker, with more stain, the tips will be light with very little. Make sure to wipe the stain off the little points around the burr area as these are always light from rubbing. Use another fresh antler as reference and try to match what you see. You will have to slowly build up to the color you want, letting the stain dry and getting darker with each coat. Your first try at this may look like crap. Keep trying When you have got it looking good and the stain is dry, rub hanfulls of dirt all over the antler, this will tone down any unatural shine from the stains and they will look "real" again.

Thanks Grafton. Good info.