Another interesting question about Tansel horn production is whether they made plain, uncarved horns. I have seen a couple of plain horns with a "fish mouth" treatment at the throat, but not chip cut or engrailed, that had the proportoins of a tansel horn. I have also seen one fine uncarved horn that I thought might have been made in KY by Francis Tansel, based on its finely beaded spout and bulbous walnut butt plug with decorative incised rings, both reasonably similar to Tansel work. I don't know if the Tansels made plain horns, and hope that some day one will surface with some stronger evidence that a Tansel made it.
I think there is a good probability that the Tansels made powder measures. I've seen two on bags with Tansel horns that were similar in nature. Both were bone, both turned round in cylindrical or tubular form, with cross hatching at one end. I've also heard a story about an early signed Tim Tansel horn that had a small powder measure made of horn with it that also was carved with an eagle, similar to the big horns. Unfortunately, the powder measure has since been lost by the owner, and no experienced Tansel collector ever got to see it before it disappeared. But the powder horn that it reportedly accompanied exists, and is one of the best carved early Tim Tansel horns known. It has not yet "come out" into the horn collectors' circles, but hopefully will some day. Also based on a couple of KY era Tansel horns with heavily beaded spouts, I've wondered if the Tansels might have made some of the finer, more delicate rattlesnake tipped powder measures, particularly any of them made in bone. Shelby Gallien
