This thesis describes a toolbox of complementary techniques that together measure and mechanical properties of bone. Three-point bending is used to measure the mechanical properties of bone; micro computed tomography provides cortical geometry and parameters describing trabecular bone.  The material properties, elastic modulus and density, are measured directly using ultrasound and Archimedes’ principle, while composition and bone chemistry are investigated by ashing and Raman microscopy.  These methods are used to characterise bone from the naturally occurring Gunmetal mouse and the engineered neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) knockout mouse. Comparison was also made between femora and tibiae and cortical and trabecular bone from wild type mice. Gunmetal mice had inferior mechanical properties, but unaffected material and chemical properties.  Cortical area but not second moment of area was also reduced.  nNOS knockouts had superior bone mechanically, due to increased mineralisation and geometrical parameters.  Femora and tibiae had different mechanical and material properties that were not linked to the size or shape of the bones.  Cortical bone  had characteristics of older bone compared to trabecular material, possibly due to the lower turnover rate. These results show the necessity for measuring material properties directly, rather than inferring them from mechanical and geometrical properties.  The differences in femora and tibiae suggest testing only femur or tibia may result in the risk of missing important results.  Application of this toolbox of methods provides a comprehensive description of bone’s overall fitness for purpose and an understanding of the origin of any defect or enhancement in its properties.