AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Contemporary Accoutrements => Topic started by: Frozen Run on October 07, 2024, 11:29:07 AM
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I have a friend with very good taste that insisted I make him a powder horn. I don't want to spoil what it looks like before I hand it off this weekend so you'll have to wait on pictures. Plus, it's not done. This is the first item I've made for someone else and it's an odd feeling, you invest a portion of your life into something and then it's gone, somebody else's thing. Questions and comments are appreciated.
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I feel like that sometimes when I turn a gun over to a customer. Then I move on to the next one. But there is one I wish I had back.
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What about that one made it so important to you?
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What about that one made it so important to you?
The patchbox was a really cool unit that took a long time and lots of figuring to make. It was a copy of a Fainot. The original is here: https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15403.0
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Rich, I see what you mean, wicked cool, a rifle that is hard to get out of your head.
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Seller's remorse is exactly what happened after I purchased the A. Verner rifle from Taylor. He now has it back & then built the accompanying A.Verner pistol.
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My friend really likes the horn.
I like creating items that are both in the moment for the period and at the same time meaningful to the person in the present. He is a PA resident, loves hunting and fishing, and is religious. So here I scrimshawed Leviticus 3:16, it's important to hunters, Old Testament, and I pulled it from an old Swiss-German bible online so it has that existing in both worlds quality that I like. I think the most important thing to making an item believable is your ability to craft a narrative around it. You often see large amounts of lettering on the outside curve of the horn, here I chose to do it on the inside because it is not a proclamation to the world but a reminder to the owner. I can imagine someone from the 18th century looking down at their side and reading it so I positioned it as such when I was laying it out rather than in terms of optimal or most common location.
(https://i.ibb.co/w6NxTxH/20241011-131210.jpg)
Here along the outside I scrimshawed a deer and a fish. I also did his initials but my thumb is carelessly covering up the other letter. The deer and fish I pulled off of horns from Clinton Byers and Kathy England, and originals.
(https://i.ibb.co/23VrPby/20241011-131202.jpg)
Here is the neck staple I did at the last possible minute. I had been putting it off and putting it off and convincing myself it doesn't need it and I have pretty much the horn as you see it and it just needed a staple, functionally and aesthetically so I broke down and did it. There wasn't much meat in the tip and I think I could have squeezed a little more out of it but not much. There are two ways I know of doing one, though this is my first time attempting one, and fortunately Tim Crosby put out a really nice tutorial on neck staples and it worked out great I think.
(https://i.ibb.co/85c2n5W/20241011-131218.jpg)
The base plug.
(https://i.ibb.co/j8hFwNZ/20241011-131220.jpg)
I put my maker's mark in the scruff near the base, I just realized I don't have a picture of that and that I can't just take another picture of it because it's gone. That's an odd feeling.
I'm happy that he's happy, and I learned a lot of new things doing this.
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That's a Good looking horn, well done.
Tim
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Thank you, Tim! I think it's safe to say I'm pretty hooked now, heck, I kind of even enjoy the smell of horn shavings now.
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Really nice job there Donnie. You’re doing a great job making them look old! Keep up the good work.
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Looks well over 150 years old.Great workmanship and thanks for showing it to this forum.
Bob Roller
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Nice job on aging the horn, particularly around the base. thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for the kind words everyone!
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That is a mighty fine looking horn. I really dig folky art horns and aged is that much better in my eyes.
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Thank you, Brian!