ManicureTool of Buffalo Horn or Native Boxwood

A horn or native boxwood tool to maintain healthy cuticles, smooth and clean nails.

£8.00

A beautiful and functional manicure tool for pushing back the cuticles and cleaning under the nails.  Made from the  horn of the domesticated Indian water buffalo (Bos Bubalus), related to the wild herds which used to roam the forests of Europe and Southern Asia until quite recently, this type of horn is selected for its strength, smooth grain and flexibility.

We have introduced a British boxwood variant.

Using a horn or wooden tool to push back the cuticle and clean under the nails is gentle but effective. Due to horn being the same material as human nails, it does not damage nails in the way that harder materials such as steel or plastic can.

These elegant manicure tools are hand made by Richard of Norwich a stick maker and horn worker. They are about 13cm long, 1cm wide and 0.3cm deep.

How to use a horn or boxwood cuticle pusher for nail care

Use once the cuticles are wet and soft, for example while showering or bathing or after washing up.  By massaging argan oil or by massaging a mixture or savon noir or hemp oil soap and lemon juice into the cuticles achieves the same softening effect.

Then gently slide the broad end of the tool against the u-shape of the cuticle, pushing it gently back. Glide the tool gently over the nail surface near the cuticles to remove any adhering skin near where the nail emerges from the cuticle.

Daily attention, taking just minutes can help prevent annoying splitting and peeling cuticles and hangnails.

How to use the manicure tool for cleaning the nails.

Slide the tool under the projecting nail to remove grime. Again, this is much more effective when the nails are thoroughly soaked in water as before. To get the nails really clean and to remove microbes, scrub the nails with a nail brush with a little savon noir, hemp oil soap or rhassoul clay (yes!) afterwards.

How to care for horn and wood items

* A horn or wooden nail care tool should be for life!
* Do not immerse horn or wood in water
* Do not allow contact with solvents, nail care chemicals
* If the point becomes wet through use, dry it afterwards
* To restore the polished look to your point, rub vigorously with dry wood ashes using a chamois leather and then polish with a little plant oil.
* If the horn tool deforms, heat the it under hot water, dry and place under a weight until it has straightened
* Store away from heat, humidity and direct sunlight
* Protect from dogs and other animals – even herbivores will eat horn!
* When transporting the point, protect it from scratches from harder items and protect it so it does not snap.
*If the pointed end of the tool becomes too blunt just sand it gently with very fine sandpaper to reshape.

The Ethics of using Horn Points

* Made of water buffalo horn, nature’s own ‘plastic’  prized for it strength, durability, and ability to take on different forms. Buffalo horn is only taken from domestic animals after the end of their working life. Domestic buffalo are never killed for their horns. Buffalo are prized for their milk, meat and for traction and horn is very much a by product.
* A horn point will after a long use-life eventually biodegrade (apart from the archaeological points found in special preservation conditions)
* It make better environmental sense to make use of animal grown horn than to mine metals or fabricate plastics for tools.
*Suitable for multi-period historical reenactors.

The Ethics of Using a Boxwood Manicure Tool

Vegan
Local British material
Biodegradable