Georgia Large Country Horn w/photos...

[Collector]

Picked-up outside of Savannah, GA and submitted for your review and comment.

Dimensions:
OAL (along outside curve): 21.00 inches
Diameter@ Butt plug: 3.00 inches (AVG.) Actual: 3.050" X  2.955"
Spout OD: .948 inches / Spout opening ID: .534 inches

Butt Plug:
Close grained long leaf heart pine, secured with 3 iron pins/nails (irregular shaped heads) and 1 pin/nail (with a 'round' head- [repair?])  Surprisingly, airtight except for a 1/8 inch section along the plug.  It has two iron pins in the face of the plug, which may have been for a piece of leather or cloth, but there are no telltale stains or shadow lines.  There are a couple of other holes, in the plug, but these may have been a modern attempt to make it possible to hang it on a wall.  (The spout has a minor split near the tip where it appears someone tried to install a small pin/screw-?)

The body is roughly scraped, and has 'W x A' carved into the side.  Definitely a left hand carry.  It has an unusual feature that I've never encountered; a raised spot, 3/4" (L) X 7/16" (W) that is proud ~1/8" above the surface of the horn, ~3-3/8 inches from the tip of the spout.  Used to retain a strap?  This raised spot, on the throat of this horn, was definitely a deliberately incorporated feature used by this country horn maker.

Period of construction and it's probable use in our history?  I'd love to hear from the horn guys amongst us.



















 

[skillman]

I'm thinking storage horn. Really nice old horn. Thanks for sharing.

Steve

[Ahtuwisae]

I am agreeing with Steve on this one.  I storage horn.  That raised spot is definitely an oddity.  This horn also appears to have been made by a common man and not a Horner.

[Collector]

Thanks gentlemen. 

Q. Any idea as to an approximate period of construction? 

Q. Is it possible to reasonably date the horn based on the iron pins/nails used to hold the butt plug in place? (Though the one round head nail, does throw me a curve  ) 

Q. Can we use the virtually all 'white/cream' color of the body of the horn with a natural black tip, as just such an indicator also? 

I'm certainly no expert and we know that this horn can't talk, but I'm hoping that it's possible to tweak a little history out of it. 

[mr. no gold]

Something about this horn kept bothering me and I finally got it. Could be a really old horn made/used in the last half of the 1700s or slightly into the next century. The 'A' has the bent cross stroke which was common in the 1700s, but seems to have been changed over to the straight bar by about 1800. This is a country horn, made at home and likely initialed not long after it was made. If made by someone who was educated in the old hand, it would still would probably have been made in the late 1700s. Compare this with the 'A's found on French and Indian War horns and on some Rev War pieces. Early 1800s horns have the new style.
Neat old horn, I like it. Thanks for showing it.
Best-Dick

[greybeard]

I tend to think of a horn of this size as a "Borowing Horn" as in "Could I borrow a bit of powder"

[Collector]

Thanks to all, for exchanging your thoughts on this 'country' storage horn.  Dick (mr. no gold), very interesting observation about the initials being carved in a mid-18thC. plain script style. 

As to it's care, I intended to: a.) put chunks of moth balls inside the horn to prevent insect infestation,
b.) using Howard's Feed N Wax on the butt plug and horn body (contains bee's wax) and finally, c.) making a plug for the spout. 

Q.  So, as to the style/period of the carving, is there agreement, consensus or further comment, on this, among the other responders, to my post?

Q.  Is my intended plan for caring for this horn okay?

That raised spot on the throat, still has me wondering about it's intended purpose.  My object/intention, is to tweak as much history out of this artifact, as possible.   

[cmac]

I know a guy that has a horn that size as his regular carry. Said he was always dumping powder and got sick of running out. I believe his held a pound and a half plus

[rich pierce]

The plainer, home made horns are hard to date because they have so little to go on.  The "A" that other picked up on is,  agree, the best clue for dating it early.  It is certainly homemade because the walls are so thick and hasn't been shaped much.  Farmers, settlers have made horns like this since the gun was invented.  It does not look like a carrying horn because there's no place to put a strap on either end.  So storage horn makes sense, taken to the store or trading post to get filled, then kept at home to fill the "day horn".

[draken]

Makes me think of Frank House.  That gentleman's powder horn is the largest I've ever seen.

[KennyC]

What ever it is it's nice thanks for sharing

[mattdog]

I love old "plain" pieces like this.  

I can imagine it being made by a farmer or homesteader who simply needed a horn and constructed what his talent and tools would allow from what he had on hand at the time.  Wouldn't he be suprised to know that 639 people would want to look at his work 100 or 200 years later on a worldwide network like this.

He'd probably say, "what? that old thang, ..shucks."

[woodsrunner]

If anybody had a burning desire to reproduce this old Georgia(?) horn, guess what I've got!

Have a right handed horn-not left handed like this horn-that is very, very close to the same coloration, is about 27" long and at about the length of the original horn would be just a little larger at about 3.3" overall round diameter. It's slightly egg shaped at 21", but without cutting it I can't tell about the slight difference in diameter north-South, east-west. Also....at about the same location from the spout of the abnormality(?) on the original, this horn also has somewhat of an abnormality, though not as pronounced, as the original.It's just a slight bump/rise that is a couple of inches long, inch wide and maybe 1/8th inch high. I'm sure someone handy with the right tool could duplicate the "thang-a-ma-bob" on the original.

Being as I'm in the timber business I might even be able to come up with a small piece of quarter sawn original old Virgin Longleaf Pine for a butt plug. And being as I'm also a Georgia Country Boy I might be pretty reasonable to trade with IF this original is going to be duplicated  . As for nails, can't be much help there 'ceptin I've got a few small square cut boat nails made by Tremont Nail Co. Just thought I'd mention this.......

Oh yeah...one other thing! I KNOW photos are in order if there is any interest, but I have no way of doing this. I've barely got enough computer sence to turn the dang thing on and off   

[Tim Crosby]

If anybody had a burning desire to reproduce this old Georgia(?) horn, guess what I've got!

Have a right handed horn-not left handed like this horn-that is very, very close to the same coloration, is about 27" long and at about the length of the original horn would be just a little larger at about 3.3" overall round diameter. It's slightly egg shaped at 21", but without cutting it I can't tell about the slight difference in diameter north-South, east-west. Also....at about the same location from the spout of the abnormality(?) on the original, this horn also has somewhat of an abnormality, though not as pronounced, as the original.It's just a slight bump/rise that is a couple of inches long, inch wide and maybe 1/8th inch high. I'm sure someone handy with the right tool could duplicate the "thang-a-ma-bob" on the original.

Being as I'm in the timber business I might even be able to come up with a small piece of quarter sawn original old Virgin Longleaf Pine for a butt plug. And being as I'm also a Georgia Country Boy I might be pretty reasonable to trade with IF this original is going to be duplicated  . As for nails, can't be much help there 'ceptin I've got a few small square cut boat nails made by Tremont Nail Co. Just thought I'd mention this.......

Oh yeah...one other thing! I KNOW photos are in order if there is any interest, but I have no way of doing this. I've barely got enough computer sence to turn the dang thing on and off   

 Do you want one made for yourself out of it?

 Tim C.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

If anybody had a burning desire to reproduce this old Georgia(?) horn, guess what I've got!

Have a right handed horn-not left handed like this horn-that is very, very close to the same coloration, is about 27" long and at about the length of the original horn would be just a little larger at about 3.3" overall round diameter. It's slightly egg shaped at 21", but without cutting it I can't tell about the slight difference in diameter north-South, east-west. Also....at about the same location from the spout of the abnormality(?) on the original, this horn also has somewhat of an abnormality, though not as pronounced, as the original.It's just a slight bump/rise that is a couple of inches long, inch wide and maybe 1/8th inch high. I'm sure someone handy with the right tool could duplicate the "thang-a-ma-bob" on the original.

Being as I'm in the timber business I might even be able to come up with a small piece of quarter sawn original old Virgin Longleaf Pine for a butt plug. And being as I'm also a Georgia Country Boy I might be pretty reasonable to trade with IF this original is going to be duplicated  . As for nails, can't be much help there 'ceptin I've got a few small square cut boat nails made by Tremont Nail Co. Just thought I'd mention this.......

Oh yeah...one other thing! I KNOW photos are in order if there is any interest, but I have no way of doing this. I've barely got enough computer sence to turn the dang thing on and off   

I am building an 1815 gun for a friend who lives in Laurens Co.  The idea is that it was made by a local builder around/between Savannah and Augusta.. This is a gift for him.  Your horn made as a copy of the one Mr Hansen just found could help me make up the kit for him.  I need to make a horn, bag, powder measure and shot pouch to go with the gun....... What are you thinkin of asking for it...and where might I see it??