AmericanLongRifles Forums

General discussion => Contemporary Accoutrements => Topic started by: Randy Hedden on October 10, 2009, 10:28:50 PM

Title: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: Randy Hedden on October 10, 2009, 10:28:50 PM

Wow! this guy is a real optimist.

Randy Hedden

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-POWDER-HORN-FLASK-WISTARBURGH-GLASSWORKS-1742_W0QQitemZ230386719909QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a41e5ca5

Title: Re: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: G. Elsenbeck on October 10, 2009, 10:56:11 PM

I believe this is about the 4th time he's tried getting rid of this at this price.  Persistent bugger isn't he.
Gary

Title: Re: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: LRB on October 11, 2009, 12:34:11 AM

  I read where the glass powder horns were early 19th c. Just out of curiosity, does anyone here know for sure either way?

Title: Re: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: Artificer on October 11, 2009, 06:38:20 AM

Dumb question time.  Is it a sure thing this indeed is a powder horn and not meant for something else?   I'm wondering if it was an Apothecary Bottle or a scent bottle due to the flutes in the glass and the fact the bottom appears to have been deliberately flattened so it would stand upright, perhaps? 

Title: Re: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: Bruce on October 11, 2009, 03:50:10 PM

Only a d*** fool, wanting to part quickly with his money, would seek possession for such a questionable item.  It is a never ending surprise to me to see what people will buy... or not.
                                                                BHB

Title: Re: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: Jerry V Lape on October 12, 2009, 03:26:32 AM

He gets anything like 2% of his asking price I will have to fire up the grill and bend a few Heineken bottles!  Why would you buy a glass bottle for a powder flask?  Breakable, makes good projectiles if ignited with powder in it, sun light to deteriorate the powder, and the glass is much heavier than horn.  No thanks.  

Title: Re: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: Nate McKenzie on October 12, 2009, 03:50:01 AM

Man! I should have kept a similar looking bottle I took out of a fire two years ago.

Title: Re: 18th Century Glass Powder Horn on Ebay
Post by: Artificer on October 12, 2009, 11:25:58 AM

Jerry made some excellent points about actually using a glass powder flask.

I would add the expense of a powder flask in the 18th century would have ruled it out for anything but maybe a "show piece" as well.  Cow horn was even more plentiful to the average person back then and a good deal cheaper.  The powder containers for the rich were made out of horn and more expensive materials other than glass. 

Even when glass became much cheaper in the 19th century, I just can't see anyone actually using a glass container this way - or at least not using it twice after they dropped the first one.  Grin.