new horn project

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

A trapper friend of mine came by this afternoon with this horn.  It'll be a new powder horn eventually - wish me luck!!

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Are you sure its dead?

Coryjoe

[skillman]

Well you've given it a haircut. Now to see what is "in it". Can't wait to see. I've had a few of these but never with the hair.

Steve

[Longshot]

They're in good hands.

[cmac]

Do you know if that is a Scottish highlander horn? The hair looks like it.

[Chris Treichel]

the remnant would make a sporran you could be proud of...

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I'm pretty sure it's dead...sure smells dead anyway.

I asked the fellow what kind of critter it came from, and he said," a cow ".  That's the best I can do.  I agree, it looks like a hippy cow to me too.  The base at the skull was eaten away so I had to cut it where I did.  As it is it's 21" along the outside curve.  It's going to require some serious scraping to thin it, and remove the rough outside.  But it has a nice double curve.

[Chris Treichel]

As CMAC said looks like one of those Highland Cows from Scottland
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/highland-cattle-scotland/

[Nate McKenzie]

I have used Highland horns before and found them rather hard to work. They tend to be grainy and split easily but can be made into nice horns.

[Majorjoel]

Gosh Taylor, this is funny! Just two weeks ago a friend gave me a rare prize. One that smelled so bad I had to dowse it with bleach. It will hang on the back wall of my garage until my friend Rick Lorenzen decides to make something out of those pearly white horns. This was once a Scottish Highland Beasty.   

[bob in the woods]

Wow, I just had a pair of Scottish Highland cattle horns given to me , too !  I passed one along to a friend of mine, and have since managed to get the core out of the one I kept.  This horn is 24 inches long 
Regarding what to make from these large horns;  were their not large horns used for storage , and to fill smaller horns? ie they were not made for carrying.  What about the horns used for priming cannons ?

[Pete G.]

Cool. A horn AND a scalp.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Well, it's finished.  It actually turned out better than I had hoped...nice colours and pleasing double curve.  The finished horn is 17 3/4" along the outside curve and 3" across the base plug.  I scraped the inside as well, and the horn is translucent enough to be able to see the powder level, at the butt end anyway.  Outside finish is ground to remove lumps and bumps, and even the curves and scale, and then scraped, burnished with four ought steel wool and waxed with Trewax.  Base plug is spruce, chared, burnished and sealed with hot bees wax.  Client wanted a little bling, so brass escutcheon nails secure the plug.  Staples are 1/8" steel key stock.  I'm not a 'horner' but the work is certainly satisfying.

[Shreckmeister]

Taylor,  Would that mean your friend is a BullTrapper?  Most of my friend are
Bull_rappers