A small horn - finally finished

[Kevin]

Greetings All,

Here's a couple photos of a small horn that I had been occasionally scraping and shaping during slow moments at some living history events over the past half a decade or so.  I just rubbed it down with a coat of Wonder Wax and called it done.  It goes about 7 and 3/8 inches along the outside curve.

The walnut end plug was sized to the natural shape of the horn and given a very low dome profile.  It's held in place by six cut nails.  The horn's surface retains signs of scraping and the spout end was given an octagonal shape above the raised ring.  Was going for a made-in-the-farm's-workshop look, not that of a professional hornmaker.  Comments welcome.






Enjoy,
Kevin

[LynnC]

I like it. My kinda horn.

I admire the the high folk art stuff but I make simple horns and bags to go with each gun i make for family and friends.

Well Done.......Lynn

[smokepole45cal]

Not a thing wrong with that. Nice.

[RoaringBull]

I'd buy that. That's perfect!

[Mike Lyons]

That’s a nice looking horn.

[Tim Crosby]

 Well done, looks Good to me.

   Tim C.

 

[MuskratMike]

Bravo! A wonderful little horn that is period correct. The "Muskrat" would be proud to hang this over his shoulder.

[aaronc]

Can't ever go wrong with simple, clean, and highly functional. Very attractive piece,...whats not to like.

[Curtis Makamson]

That's a good looking horn.

[Kevin]

Greetings All,

Thanks to all for the positive comments.  My last horn project, prior to this one, was circa 1980.  I have a few raw horns in the basement that will be getting some attention.  They too date to circa 1980.

Take Care,
Kevin

[Mick C]

Very nicely crafted.  Well done!

[G. Elsenbeck]

Kevin, you did a nice fine job here.  Nothing wrong with the simple design or overall look.  Especially the fit of the base plug looks right.  Hope to see you tackle more horn challenges in the future.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

.... hard to see details in the pic,... this is a small horn I found at a flea market here in the NC mountains... came from Haywood Co. along with a .32cal mold, and two old cap tins,and a couple very soft lead rifle-balls...was all in a small box with a note that reads, "Cogburn Rifle bullets"...horn is just under 6" on outside curve,.. no provision for strap,... raised-carved band is about 1/2" wide, and tip has 8 flat-carved facets and 10 small iron nails holding end cap,.. I think in the late 19th-early 20th century, these old mountain hunters saw no need to carry around a large horn with a pound of powder and a bag with half their earthly belongings,.. a small horn, a few balls and a strip of patching in the pocket of their jumper and their old hog-rifle would do for a day's hunt,... I have also found the 8 facets on the tip to be a common North Carolina horn feature,... even on older, large horns,... you have done a great job,... I like it,... regards,... CCF...

[Mark Elliott]

That's a nice little horn.

[Smokey Plainsman]

.... hard to see details in the pic,... this is a small horn I found at a flea market here in the NC mountains... came from Haywood Co. along with a .32cal mold, and two old cap tins,and a couple very soft lead rifle-balls...was all in a small box with a note that reads, "Cogburn Rifle bullets"...horn is just under 6" on outside curve,.. no provision for strap,... raised-carved band is about 1/2" wide, and tip has 8 flat-carved facets and 10 small iron nails holding end cap,.. I think in the late 19th-early 20th century, these old mountain hunters saw no need to carry around a large horn with a pound of powder and a bag with half their earthly belongings,.. a small horn, a few balls and a strip of patching in the pocket of their jumper and their old hog-rifle would do for a day's hunt,... I have also found the 8 facets on the tip to be a common North Carolina horn feature,... even on older, large horns,... you have done a great job,... I like it,... regards,... CCF...

Man, now that’s neat. Makes sense they’d tuck a horn in their pouch if it were small enough.

[Curtis Makamson]

There something special about those horns that appear to be simple.  But, just because they appear to be simple does not by any means imply they are simple to make.  That is a good one.

[BOB HILL]

For many years, when I hunted more, if I was going out for a short hunt,  I would do just what Dana just stated. One load in my gun, two balls in my watch pocket, a small horn and some patching in my jacket pocket with a tin of caps if percusion. Ready to go.
Bob

[Bob McBride]

Super!

[JohnnyFM]

Very nice fit and finish.  Simple elegance.

[Notchy Bob]

Kevin,

You did a nice job on that little bag horn.  The most remarkable point to be made, though, is the similarity to the original shown by Cade's Cove Fiddler.  Small size (6"- 7"), simple raised ring, octagonal spout, and no provision for a strap on the butt end.  That is authentic!

I believe small powder receptacles may have been more common, back in the day, than we realize.  We have in the family two little gourds which were used for this purpose, and carried in a haversack or pouch.  One of them is about the shape and size of a 100 watt light bulb, although with a smaller neck.  It was used as a powder gourd by my great grandfather.  His wife would "borrow" it now and then to use as a darning ball for mending socks!  The other gourd was grown by my dad around the time of World War I.  He made a crude wooden box and put the gourd in it while it was small, so it grew to the shape of the box, with a square cross section.  Maybe the next time I visit my brother, we can pull them out and take some pictures to post.

Anyway, I would like to make one of these small horns.  I have a couple of smallish bison horns that might do, but I would like to find a horn with coloration like the one shown by Mr. Fiddler.  I haven't made a powder horn in a long time, and this would be a good project for easing back into the craft.

Thanks to both of you guys for posting!

Notchy Bob

[Kevin]

Notchy Bob, Thank you for the compliment on the horn.

Also, many thanks to CCF for posting the horn he discovered and shared with us.

I have to agree with the multiple comments and observations that a small horn, or other powder container, is useful and handy to have around.  Not everyone making use of a flintlock or caplock was planning to be away from home for an extended period of time.  One of my great-great-great grandfathers (a Pennsylvania farmer) commented in his 1862 day book about being out to the mountain to hunt deer for the day.  That single late fall or early winter day is the only entry that makes any mention of hunting.  He, most likely, wasn't carrying around an over abundance of powder for his day hunt.

Kevin

[thecapgunkid]

The simplicity is a great asset.  Well done.