A harvest of thorns

[far55]

I have a red lace locust tree in my yard that apparently was grafted onto other locust root stock. I found this out when I started getting sprouts coming up with green leaves and thorns. I left several grow in an out of the way spot after I read Art DeCamp's book on Horns of the Trade about the Centre county, Pa. horns and harvested some this spring. Any of you guys use thorns to hold the butt plugs in your horns ? It just seemed sorta like the saying about when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Other than predrilling the holes and gluing them in, is there anything else to know about using them ? P.S. I already found out how sharp they are while cutting them off the tree! Thanks, Roland

[RoaringBull]

I wonder if mesquite thorns would work for that as well?

I know they are tough. I've pulled them from truck tires.

[David G]

I have a horn made by Matt Blosser where the plug is attached by locust thorns. I would think the thorns would need to be stabilized first before use.

[John SMOthermon]

I have used Locust thorns in the past.

I cut mine and let them dry prior too using them.
I’m not sure that’s required, but that’s how I did it

[T*O*F]

Back when I was a teen and spent a lot of time afield, I gathered some of the large seed pods and extracted the seeds.  Always carried a couple in my hunting jacket to suck on.  They are extremely hard and replace the old Indian trick of putting a smooth pebble in your mouth to keep you from getting thirsty.  They work.

[WadePatton]

Those look like the thorns of Honeylocust, which are hollow-and have uses, but fastening wouldn't be my first choice. I'm unfamiliar with that species, so those may be solid.

I'd use thorns of Black Locust  or Osage instead (if I was doing such) because they're solid, and readily available.

[wmrike]

I use dried, weathered thorns with a slightly rough, weathered surface.  The spindly part of the tip is cut off, and I drill a fairly deep hole before hammering in the thorn and filing it flat.  I've not had an issue with them backing out.

[John SMOthermon]

Mine were Black Locust.

[Top Jaw]

I have used hawthorn thorns after I dried them out.  Just like green wood - I would consider the drying step to be an important part prior to using them.

[rich pierce]

Honey locust primitive fishhooks with nettle line. Work for catfish but not overnight on a bank line.


image posting

[davec2]

I get a lot of 1" to 2" long thorns on my citrus trees.  I cut them off, dry them, and then use them to mount the base plugs in powder horns.





And they are plenty tough enough to use as an awl for punching through leather !

[Greg Pennell]

Dang, those remind me of Panama, jungle survival training, and black palm...

Greg

[Jerry V Lape]

Black Palm thorns are certainly spectacular and they are to be feared. Probably too brittle to use as nails though.  They have a tendency to snap off deep in your muscle. Spent 4 years in US Army element in Panama.  Nothing like black palm,  Fer-De-'Lance vipers and electric caterpillars.  Three hundred inches (that is 25 feet) of rain each year wasn't the nicest thing either.

[Greg Pennell]

Jerry, my unit was the first to go through Jungle School in I think January’90, right after Operation Just Cause.  We helped police Fort Sherman of all the ordnance that was still laying around all over the place. All these complaining little snowflakes of today need to go live in a place like Panama for a month or so...might give them some perspective on how good they have it here in the good ol’ USA.  Good times...

Greg

[Spring Hill Bill]

I had a near miss with a honey locust thorn that attacked my tractor tire a couple of weeks ago.

[John SMOthermon]

Been there , done that... However mine was a direct hit!

Only flat on one side though.. lol
Them Botas are tough!