Don't keep us hanging Dave. Tell us the the saga of the patched horn.
Jim,
First off, let me tell you how I know that the horn was destined to be mine. I first spotted the horn at the Lewisburg show in February. I did not part with my cash at that time and passed on the horn. Six months later, in Lexington at the CLA show Mike still had the horn. A voice in my head said that this horn must be destined to be mine since it was still available after all that time. As Paul Harvey would say, "Now for the rest of the story" As you can see from the photos, the horn was fully engraved. After engraving, Mike put a pot of water on the stove and commenced to dye the horn. According to Mike, while the horn was in the dye bath Mike decided to seek refuge in his favorite chair. While relaxing in the chair, Mike ended up dozing off. When he awoke, the pot was dry and the horn was scorched on one side, ruining some the engraving in that spot. Hence the leather/rawhide repair. Now you know the whole story.
David
