wooden flasks

[webradbury]

Were there ever any turned wooden flasks used for powder?  I was tempted to make an antler flask recently, and still may, but in the preparation, I began thinking about a small turned wooden vessel with either a valve or simple spout and plug.  I have seen the wooden flasks from the 17th century, made with wood panels and sheet metal, but I can't find any evidence of simple turned wooden flasks.  Seems there would be something out there considering the ease of manufacture of something of this nature if a person had access to a treadle lathe back in the day.  Curious.

[Hungry Horse]

The Russian American Fur Company, that trapped off the Pacific Coast, used small round flasks made of wood. I made one years ago when I was a reenactor at Fort Ross. Mine was made by using a 6” hole saw on a piece of 3/4” walnut to make the two pieces of the body. I hogged out the interior with a round bottomed router bit, and used a fluted bit  to make the molding on the exterior. I plugged the hole left by the center bit with a pewter button I made, and engraved it.

  Hungry Horse

[smokinbuck]

I have a contemporary wooden powder flask made from 3 pieces of birds eye maple. It is fitted with a regular flask top.
Mark

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

It was common to have powder charges carried in a collection of wooden vials, hung from a bandoleer in the days of the matchlock musket.  There are lots of original woodcuts and etchings of this phenomenon.

[Pukka Bundook]

Not Exactly what you are seeking, but flasks made of coconut shells were a fad at one time, and often beautifully engraved.
mainly  appear to have been French

Sort of wood, what?


 

[Elnathan]

The Russian American Fur Company, that trapped off the Pacific Coast, used small round flasks made of wood. I made one years ago when I was a reenactor at Fort Ross. Mine was made by using a 6” hole saw on a piece of 3/4” walnut to make the two pieces of the body. I hogged out the interior with a round bottomed router bit, and used a fluted bit  to make the molding on the exterior. I plugged the hole left by the center bit with a pewter button I made, and engraved it.

  Hungry Horse

Anything like this: http://www.oriental-arms.com/item.php?id=6435

I'm always interested in anything pertaining to the Russian fur trade. Very hard to find anything on it here on the East Coast.

[Hungry Horse]

The Russian flasks are round,and flat, with a added metal spout. The body is often banded around the center seam with metal, and often has rings for a shoulder strap. On a couple I have seen, the plug is metal with a measure that fits into the neck of the spout, which sometimes is attached to the metal band.
 If you Google Ft. Ross, you will find quite a lot of information on the Russian fur trade. I think they were in California for about forty years.

  Hungry Horse

[hanshi]

After cobbling together a powder "horn" from a piece of bamboo a few years ago, I've seen photos of a couple of other contemporary bamboo horns/flasks; round, of course.