A bison is the creature we call a buffalo in America. However, it is of no real relation to buffalo in the rest of the world. It’s actually a large cow-like beast with a comically large furry head. They used to roam the vast American interior in equally vast herds until we hunted them to near extinction. Before then the American Indians used the Bison for everything from food, to tools, to lodging, and clothes. Today, the Bison is raised as food right alongside cattle on many ranches. (Buffalo burgers and steaks are quite tasty and low in fat.) It has been successfully reintroduced to many parts of the United States, so it is no longer in danger of extinction. You can read more about the Bison here.
Bison Horn is piano black, and are some of the most beautiful dice we make. However taking a deep breath while we are making these might just be a detriment to one’s health. Both Buffalo and Bison horn both leave an utterly horrid smell that permeates my shop for days after we finish making them. I swear if horn didn’t make some of the best dice on the planet I’d quit working with it all together. Gross. That smell gets in your beard, and it won’t wash out… Lucky for yall, these dice don’t smell once they are complete as they only smell while they are being worked.
But alas, horns make for some epically awesome dice. So we will continue to suffer to horrible stench of laser-engraved bison horn. The dice pictured here do not have any finish applied to them. Instead they were buffed them using tripoli and a white rouge, then polished to a glossy luster with a soft cotton buffing wheel. This process, brings out a touch of white or gold marbling within the horn.
The golden numbers are not painted. They have been laser engraved as are all of our dice. Buffalo horn does not turn black in response to heat. Instead, it turns the golden hue seen here. This golden hue makes these jet black dice quite easy to read, unlike our dark wooden dice, which can be a pain to read in dim lighting
31 reviews for American Bison Horn
Dice Weight (1d20)
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Richard Stevenson (verified owner) –
I bought a single D20 with copper inlays years ago, and it has served me incredibly well since. When a player character’s life depends on the roll, I’ll break out this die and roll it in view of the players. They know when the bison horn D20 is out, sh*t has gotten real. Love it, could not recommend it more.
David –
Great dice, I got them for Christmas. I like the idea of using bone, it is kind of spiritual, but my only complaint, and I do mean only because they are very fine looking dice, is the weight. They tend to look amazing, but in my hands I wish they had a weight similar to standard dice, if not heavier. Not sure if that’s possible, but there you go.
B Sherlock (verified owner) –
I recently received these dice after a long delay (2020 was a year, thats for sure). I was okay with that, I had already made my peace with there being a wait as the material was on backorder. A year later I got this delightful gift from my past self! I hadn’t really forgotten about it, and anytime I would wonder where they were I’d find an update email in my inbox.
They even added in a beautiful additional set of dice because of the long wait.
The dice are light and feel very good to hold. If you want hefty dice Horn isn’t the right material for you, if you have ever had anything made of horn you know its quote light because its a fibrous organic material, like your nails. They are a gorgeous black, and the engraved numbers are a golden brown that compliments it well. The solid black is ocassionally broken up by a whiteish streak from an imperfection in the horn that makes them all feel like a unique piece. Worth the wait and I can’t wait to use them to torment my players!
Brandon (verified owner) –
I got a d20 with silver nickel inlay because I’m playing a Minotaur with silver capped horns. The die is gorgeous and I can’t wait to show it off to folks in my campaign!
Dylan Schultz (verified owner) –
So, here’s the thing.
The pictures simply *can’t* do these dice justice. Period. It is, quite frankly, the most incredible set of dice I’ve ever seen, held, or rolled.
There are a few oddities – Why are the d6’s so massive compared to the others? Why is the d4 so tiny? – but none of it matters in comparison to the craftsmanship and beauty of the dice.
I can’t not recommend these.
Also Bison horn with Brass Inlay goes *very well* with the Spalted Tamarind Master Vault by Wyrmwood.
Henry (verified owner) –
I purchased the Polyhedral Set.
This set is just like the pictures and is a thing of beauty! The dice have a nice texture to them and the easy to read because of the natural orange burned color. The isn’t that much marbling on them except for my d4 but I personally like the dark hue. There is a slight smell from the dice/box that is unpleasant which I am sure will disappear once they air out. I can not imagine how bad the shop must have smelled making these.
This is the second dice set I have purchased, first being the adventurers dice. All the numbers on this set seem to be accurately centered, not so for the other dice. I get it, hand made and someone could have been learning or had a bad day.
Overall the entire purchasing experience has been flawless with Artisan Dice. Both were purchased in stock and shipped next day. I received email notifications at every step of the way through their internal process form receiving the order, processing, finished processing to it being shipped.
I would recommend this product and company to others looking for high end quality dice.
Allison Lane (verified owner) –
I loved my bison horn D20. It was beautiful and the laser engraved numbers were crisp and easy to read. I was extremely upset to realize it had been in my bag that was stolen and I will be ordering another one as soon as I can. I look forward to ordering more dice from you in the future.
Charlie Brumfield –
sorry to here it was stolen! here’s hoping the replacement rolls just was well.
Scott Holman (verified owner) –
I recently purchased a D20 with the laser engraving. The package arrived promptly and the die looks beautiful!
Even better; it rolled two 19s in a row right out of the box and proceeded to roll 19s at the most opportune times during its first game night. I did notice that the 19 was a little off center while the rest of the numbers were dead on. Normally that kind of thing would bug me, but considering the unsual luck that came coupled with it, I have come to really enjoy it as my lucky die.
The bison horn looks and rolls unlike anything I have ever used before. A must have for any dice collector.
Oscar Gomez (verified owner) –
Picked up 2 Bison d20’s, one with nickel silver inlay and another without. They both look great, Artisan Dice shipped quickly and did a beautiful job creating these die.
Glenn Gray (verified owner) –
Just got my D20 in the mail today! Thanks for the quick delivery and updates through my account. Aces in my book!
Mikkel Ørsted Kirkeby –
These dice look absoulutely amazing, i really want to buy a D20, but they seem to be sold out, do you have any idea when they will be on stock again, so that i can add this beauty to the table?
Charlie Brumfield –
the next run will be available shortly
ThisIsTheTown –
Will these be coming back in stock?
Lexy (verified owner) –
Gorgeous dice, the set I received had visible marbling on all dice and a lovely weight. The set contains 4 d6 and they are slightly larger than the average d6 which is really lovely.
All the dice roll excellently.
My only complaints are that the dice get “cloudy” they don’t maintain the polish and need to be rubbed off every time you bring them out and that the cedar case I ordered doesn’t close properly as the lid is slightly too tight to close so I cant use the case to hold them unless I want to try cramming it down and risk my dice.
My last concern would be price and shipping time, I ordered my dice over 2 months before Christmas and received an update that they were finished 3 weeks before Christmas but they were not shipped until after the holidays. This was annoying as I noticed the site offering next day delivery on the same set of dice I had purchased while I had yet to receive mine, On the same note I noticed that after I had ordered my dice a few weeks later the price dropped significantly, I wish I had waited and ordered closer to the holidays and saved myself the waiting time and money spent.
Overall excellent purchase but looking back I wouldn’t have ordered the case with them and would have monitored prices more actively and purchased closer to the holidays.
Cheers!
Charlie Brumfield –
Hi Lexy,
I’m glad you like the dice. As to the box not closing properly, please send it back and we’ll get you a new one. It happens from time to time with changes in humidity during shipping. The dice you saw on the site for immediate delivery were polyhedral sets not d6 sets, and we have not changed our pricing on any of our dice within the last year. Sorry for the confusion and the delay in getting your order made. We had some issues with the supplied material in the larger sizes we need for 6 sided dice.
Charlie
Philip Ryan –
What did the buffalo say to his son when he found a new herd?
Bison
Ahahah. I haven’t brought any dice yet from here, but if there’s any I am going to get it’s these. These look amazing.
Kate (verified owner) –
After purchasing a d20 and playing with it, I had to get a full set! It has done magnificent at the table. It gets lots of attention from my group. The set just came in and are even more stunning than the d20, with lots of beautiful marbling in the pieces. They arrived after a couple short weeks and I can’t wait to use them at my next game! The craftsmanship is magnificent and they are simply gorgeous!
On a side note: it is a good thing they come in a metal case with foam cushioning in it. When it arrived, it looked like it had been run over by a car. Something must have happened in transit with the post office, because I almost had to cut the lid off to get them open. I was very afraid at first that they had been crushed or broken. When I was finally able to pry the lid off, they were in perfect condition! It’s a little disappointing that I can’t use the container they came in, but I am so thankful that it protected them from being destroyed!
Charlie Brumfield –
glad they arrived safe and sound! we’ll get you another box on the way, sometimes i swear the post office employs trained orangutans to sort the mail.
Tim –
Is it possible to request highly marbled bison dice?
Charlie Brumfield –
when we have set available we will post it individually. most of the dice will not be highly marbled.
cmlamontagne (verified owner) –
My order took 3.5 months from order to delivery, and that included a delay due to technical issues at the shop. I was notified via email at every stage of the production process, and given a clear and prompt explanation of the delay, so there was never any need for me to initiate any communication. When you order heirloom quality dice created from exotic materials by master craftsmen, this is to be expected.
The dice are as gorgeous as you think they should be. Glossy black finish with random bits of a lighter color swirled in. The numbers are centered as they should be, and the gold color contrasts wonderfully against the dark color of the dice.
As is probably already known about the dice in general, the d6s are slightly larger than other dice, the d4 slightly smaller, with the others being approximately the same size as traditional dice.
I am beyond pleased with my purchase and recommend this company and its dice to anyone.
Matt20 (verified owner) –
I bought a full set as a gift for my brother. They are beautiful, easy to read, and a pleasure to hold. He only uses them at our games now! Thank you for making them available; your workmanship is amazing.
One small quibble: The points on d4 are very acute and sharp. Be careful with them, because I’m pretty sure they could draw blood. Although that might be a plus, who knows! 🙂
Charlie Brumfield –
Glad you like them. We’re looking in to chattering the edges on all of our d4s slightly.
Kate (verified owner) –
The die I ordered is absolutely stunning. It came pretty quickly. They responded to questions in a timely fashion. I am new do role playing games. When I saw these I had to get one, and it is gorgeous. Highly recommended to anyone who likes something different!
Kevlab75 –
I’m sorry to the folks at Artisan Dice, but I had to order a smelly horn dice. I was so happy with my two other purchases from them that I had to have a dice made of horn. Sorry about the smell guys..you do great work.
Cecil Miskin – Buffalo Gold/ Herd Wear (verified owner) –
We have raised bison for over 30 years, and have been instrumental in helping ranchers (and packers) utilize “all things bison”. I respect Chatick’s view … but facts being facts, most bison are raised for meat .. even by the member tribes of the Inter Tribal Buffalo Counsel. Were it not for that commercial value in our commercial world, we would not have the herds we have today.
But these dice rank right at the top of things bison in terms of beauty, quality and American pride. Thanks for making these available. I personally know that what you have to do has got to be a labor of love, and the product and packaging are works of art and things of enduring American beauty.
Chatick –
As a member of the Pawnee Nation and a gamer, I am torn on this offering. On the one hand, the bison represents a part of our spiritual heritage and is still used in ceremony today as it was once when we hunted it across the plains. That being said, we hunted it and used its bounty for tools and food. Going to have to think on this one.
Mike –
I received my d20 recently and found the marbling to be far less prominent, almost un-noticeably so, than the picture. Additionally upon looking it over I found that most of the numbers on the die are off center. Most were passable but 4 or 5 numbers are unacceptably off center. After a series of e-mails it was explained to me that the numbers are just off center because the dice are “handmade.” In the end I was denied a refund or exchange for this die that I wish I hadn’t bought. If the website mentioned anywhere that the numbers on their dice aren’t always centered I wouldn’t have bought any. I do not recommend getting these dice.
Matt (verified owner) –
Looks nicer in person than in the pictures (wow!). Received it in less than a week. My request for a spin-down d20 was accommodated. Could not be happier!
Tyler (verified owner) –
An absolutely beautiful die! Just received my d20 today. It took a little longer than I had anticipated (a little over 5 months) but it was definitely worth the wait. I would absolutely recommend picking some up.
Joseph –
My full poly set came in the mail a few days ago, they’re absolutely gorgeous. Took a little longer than I anticipated (about 6 months) because of supply issues, but it was well worth the wait. I cannot wait to use them.
Bart (verified owner) –
A very, very beautiful d20. My order was shipped a bit late (to the Netherlands), for I had to wait more than 6 months to receive the dice. The reason was the availability of the bison horn. But the fast response on my mails and the fact that I got an extra druid d20(!!!) made it worth the wait. I definitely going show of my new dice to my dnd group!
Jon –
Just got this set 2 days after the Bloodwood. I’ve got to say jaw dropping. These are the most stunning dice I’ve ever seen.
Beau (verified owner) –
I have to add to the reviews here. I picked up the full set and they really are something special. The white marbling isn’t as pronounced on my set as I thought it would be, but these dice are still gorgeous. The gold numbering really catches the eye. All that’s left now is to see if they improve my luck at the table…
Scott (verified owner) –
I just received my d20, and it is gorgeous a serious piece of art!
philip (verified owner) –
Wow…I mean, wow! Just got my d20 and it is truly a thing of beauty!