This cigar holder/divot tool is made from American Bison horn (Bison bison), more commonly known as the American Buffalo. These horns are relatively short and mostly hollow so the cigar holder divot tool can only be made from the very tip. The hollow portion cannot be avoided so it's incorporated into the tool's design and can be seen on the backs of the tool. The shape of the tool is the result of the available material and gives very elegant lines. The color of the horn is jet black and takes a very nice polish.
This is a compact tool 2-5/8" long with a 3/4" wide body. The cradle is also small at 7/8" long, 9/16" wide and 1/8" deep, suitable for Panatella's or cigarettes. In addition, the hollow area on the back allows it to be used like the Lowboy tools.
The American Buffalo now number around 200,000 head, although they were close to extinction at the end of the 19th century, numbering only 300 individuals in both the United States and Canada. No official surveys were ever taken of the peak populations but estimates range from 30 to 75 million. Encountering a herd at South Dakota's White River in 1806, Lewis and Clark wrote, "The moving multitudes....darkened the whole plains".
In spite of their size (bulls can weigh as much as 1 ton) they are agile animals capable of speeds up to 35mph. And despite the name American Buffalo, they are not in the buffalo family but more closely related to the European Bison. In 1955 the Buffalo was made the State Animal of Kansas.
