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This cigar holder/divot tool is made from an American Bison horn (Bison bison). The unique shape of this divot tool is the result of the short, squat structure of the horn. Most of the horn is hollow with an outer shell only about 1/8" thick. This divot tool had to be made from the very tip and even then you can see the hollow area within the cigar cradle.
The American Bison 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 common 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. It is also the mascot of several Universities including West Texas A&Ms' "Thunder" and "Ralphie" at the University of Colorado.
Overall dimensions are 2-7/8" long and 1" wide. The cigar cradle is 1" long, 3/4" wide and just under 1/4" deep, sized to comfortably hold a presidente-type cigar up to ring gauge 60. Weight is 6.37 grams. Where the hollow portion of the horn intersects with the thumb indent, an appleseed-shaped hole is created. It's 1/4" wide and 1/2" long, perfectly shaped to securely hold a cigarette.While most American Bison horn is jet black, the horn this tool was made from is almost translucent with a very slight, greenish hue. This gives the tool what I can only describe as a lively look, avoiding the "plastic" appearance the horn tools can take on when they're too blak.
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