Hi everyone. I'm a long time reader here, but have posted very little until now--mostly because I have not been satisfied enough with my work to share it! That being said, I've finally decided to share a picture of my most recent horn and bag set. Since I'm new, I should probably share a little about myself. I'm a senior history and anthropology student at Butler University in Indianapolis and have been building guns, horns, and doing leatherwork since I was 15 or 16. The last three years I've taken different classes at Conner Prairie (I'll be there again this fall--will I see any of you there?) and there have had great help from the likes of Hershel House and others with blacksmithing (rifle furniture, knives, etc) and other aspects of creating the art we all enjoy. Recently I have become very interested in fraktur drawing and have been creating small cards and drawings for people I know.
I've finally come up with a horn and bag set I'm happy enough with to share some pictures of! The bag measures 6"x6.5" and is fully welted and features a gusset at the bottom. It's just the right size for a few balls, a priming horn, patches, and a spare flint. The strap adjustment is with a button on the strap which also provides a convenient place to hang the vent pick and powder measure from a braided hemp cord. Only after I made this bag (though I made the bag earlier this year) did I see the article Wallace Gusler published in the December 2009 Muzzle Blasts featuring a ~1770-80's pouch that used a button adjustment on the back of the pouch. Based on that evidence, I think this pouch would fit nicely in that same time period. The horn is scrimshawed throughout and features a stepped neck with a round and octagon section. The plug of the horn has been shaped to fit the natural shape of the horn and is of old growth black walnut. The date 1756 has been carved into the plug and the staple is hand forged from a ca. ~1818 wrought iron nail I removed from a house of the same vintage I am restoring in my hometown in Southern Indiana. A border of silver wire has been inlaid into the plug. The horn strap adjusts in the same manner as the bag, nicely complementing its partner. The priming horn is octagon paneled to match the octagonal section on the horn neck, as well as the octagonal shape of the rifle barrel this set serves. The measure is dear antler and holds ~45 grains. The vent pick is the only thing I did not make and it came from wwpete52 on the TMA forum. I'm away at school and haven't been able to forge my own pick yet, though I intend to do so in the next few weeks from another ca. 1818 wrought iron nail.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!
-Patrick
