I have three original horns that have the plugs carved to fit the horn. I utad at first thought that this was the mark of a crode homemade horn, but the last I acquired has resonably nice tip treatment that sure doesn't look homemade.
Dale H
Dale,
I don't think that we can always relate crudeness of a horn with the way the butt plug was fitted. Butt plugs fitted to the horn only show that the horn was made without the benefit of a lathe. The horns made in the horn factories in Pennsylvania had the horn rounded and a lathe turned butt plug installed. This method of installing butt plugs was more expedient for the horn factories. This appears to be the same reason that these horns had screw tips or applied tips, expediency. These horn factories turned out thousands upon thousands of horns from the late 18th century, 1770's-80's, and well into the 19th century. They had contracts with the federal government for thousands of horns over the time period.
I would think that most horns made by a professional horner, other than a horn factory, would also show lathe turned butt plugs and rounded horns. If we think about making a powder horn without the aid of a lathe, the butt plug could be cut and filed to fit the horn or cut and filed round to fit a horn that has been formed round on the butt end. If we start with a horn that is oval on the butt end then forming the butt end round just adds another operation to the horn making process.
I believe the crudeness of a powder horn with a butt plug shaped to fit the horn is most likely dependent on the talent of the maker, the tools available to the maker or the amount of time invested in making the horn.
Randy Hedden
www.harddogrifles.com
