Bone

Bone is a great medium to work with. You can create a very polished and glossy tool that will last for a very long time as it is naturally strong. I just use cow bone from the pet store. It is marketed as something for dogs to chew, but is a very nice piece of leg bone that is pure white and clean of all flesh and cartilage. Be sure to wear a dust mask if you sand because a very fine powder permeates the air around you. (If you are squeamish from dentist smells, reminds me of drilling teeth, then chew some nice minty gum!)

Here I made two crochet hooks for my mom who is an avid and very skilled crocheter. It is important that the neck remain a constant diameter. After shaping and sanding, I ran them on a buffing wheel with a fine compound, they turned out very shiny and smooth. I noticed that all of my mom's hooks were skimpy in the handle, so I went for an ergonomic design.

If they get the stamp of approval from my mom then they must work quite well! Here is a work-in-progress blanket made solely from my bone crochet hook, which has become a favorite.

A bone folder is a very useful tool and often they are not made from bone, but plastic...yuck.  Here is my one made from bone with a very shiny and glossy feel.