Natural bone handles?

Has anyone used bone (whitetail) for handles of stick-tang knives?
Any special process?
I was going to just drill it out, fit it and use Duro powdered steel epoxy.
Do you polish it?
Can you varnish?
Can you dye it?
Ed

Ed, you can use less costly epoxy to glue it, and there are any number of ways to dye it. Postassium Permanganate works well, as does concentrated tea, and leather dye. Shouldn't need to varnish it- simple buffing and waxing should do the job.

I like to use allot of Bone on my knives.I have used allot of White tail for handles...I usually start by cutting the bone in two pieces.Then I boil til the mairow slips then I add a little bleach to the same hot water for aa few minutes while it is still boiling.Then I remove the pot from the heat and let it all cool down together (this lessens the cracking problem) Once it is just warm enough to touch you can pull it out and splash on some food coloring or water based dye then let it dry completely,Or you can let it cool and then let it dry and then splash on some leather dye and then let it dry a little while longer.Then you can stabilize it yourself by soaking in a thinned out varithane or wood hardener,but you really don't have to but you will want to seal it before you buff it or you will get dirty compound in teh pours of the bone.Here is a picture I took a long time ago of one I did this way (with the leather dye) soory it isn't the best of pictures..
Bruce

NICE WORK!
but if you'd get old fossilized antler to begin with..you wouldnt
have that prob.