Author Topic: French powder flasks  (Read 3710 times)

Offline Dutch Blacky

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French powder flasks
« on: May 08, 2021, 02:18:54 PM »
Powder flasks made of copper, brass or zinc are the successors of powder horns. They became cheap and affordable, when factories in Sheffield/England started to produce metal  hardware during the industrial revolution in the 1820ies. Soon these powder flasks became very popular and uncountable  factories and craftsmen produced powder flasks with various decorations (see also: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-metal-flask-successor-to-the-powder-horn/)

Here I´d like to show you six french prowder flasks from my small collection




1) Riling #881, Marquiset #238 (Sujet: Composé)
2) French powder flask (zinc body) shows a fox in a trap (Riling #1031)
3) Riling #586 (dead game)
4) Unknown (dead game, wild hog) I am not sure, that this powder flask is french, but it is no english design! Probably continental Europe. (later added: here  (https://www.ebay.de/itm/265156962195) you can see a similar flask, made by J.N.N. A PARIS)
5) French powder flask, sujet composé, not schown in "The powder flask book" nor  in the Marquiset "poires á poudre"
6) French type Montgolfiere, like Riling #253 fluted
« Last Edit: May 14, 2021, 02:14:47 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2021, 05:11:36 PM »
One more french flask. Hunter and birds. Body zinc. Like  Riling #511, type PANEL



« Last Edit: May 08, 2021, 05:18:28 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2021, 05:20:42 PM »
Nice and varied collection. Thanks for showing.  :)

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2021, 05:26:11 PM »
This modern powder flask replica is sold as "french powder flask". It was made in Italy.

It is like the Riling-numbers 691 to 693, which have been made by Hawskley. It is not a fench flask!


« Last Edit: May 14, 2021, 06:53:33 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Notchy Bob

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2021, 04:28:23 AM »
Nice collection!   Those flasks are in unusually good condition, too.

Thanks for showing them.

Notchy Bob
"Should have kept the old ways just as much as I could, and the tradition that guarded us.  Should have rode horses.  Kept dogs."

from The Antelope Wife

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2021, 06:59:13 PM »
Actually there is a rather interesting ebay auction, where a french powder flask with a "scales" decoration is sold.  on one scale there ist the mark J.N.N. A PARIS. This powder flask  has the same overall scales as mine
https://www.ebay.de/itm/265156962195?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649#shpCntId
So I think, that my flask (see #4) with the dead boar is a flask from french production.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2021, 07:48:06 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2021, 08:35:26 PM »
Hi

I just checkad the flask #4 and finally saw a scale with J.N.N. A PARIS.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2021, 08:48:49 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2021, 10:12:04 PM »



Offline alacran

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2021, 03:13:30 PM »
Do you have any Germanic staghorn flasks?
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Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2021, 05:39:31 PM »
No, sorry. My special interest concerns metal powder  flasks.

Offline Rajin cajun

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2021, 09:25:30 PM »
Have any French Pulvern flasks?

Bob
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog !

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2021, 09:00:18 AM »
Hi Bob

all these antique powder flasks, that I have shown here, are french flasks. But they are rather rare and not easy to find, if you want to pay a reasonable price.

You can see some rather interesing french flasks for sale on https://www.naturabuy.fr/search_result.php?title=poire+a+poudre&univers=no
"poire a poudre". And as so often, there are many replika flasks offered as "old" "very old" and "antique"

Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2021, 04:51:41 PM »
Dutch,
I always wanted to find one of the French flask, that had a top that rotated at right angles, to seal off the powder completely  from the main charge when pouring.

Many repro flasks for sale as "Civil War " as well!

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2021, 07:28:26 PM »
This one might not be the typ, you are searching for, but it wll seal the Powder completely.

https://www.naturabuy.fr/Tres-belle-poire-poudre-fin-18eme-avec-bec-verseur-articule--item-7936152.html
A very interesing and rareb  french flask!

This one might be the type you are looking for
https://www.ebay.de/itm/334002416345?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170511121231%26meid%3Def0ee374ee514515b69d5b4393c05429%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D393335575364%26itm%3D334002416345%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Ac14f23d2-bd73-11eb-ba99-d660aafc0e4f%7Cparentrq%3Aa44ae65a1790a7b9dd0fa5a0fff5ba04%7Ciid%3A1



This powder falsk is made by BOCHE a Paris, and the system is called système BOCHE PARIS.  The Boche´s patent ist described on page 152 of "The Powder Flask Book"  by Ray Riling.




« Last Edit: May 25, 2021, 07:31:48 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2021, 07:37:19 PM »
Hi Pukka,

This powder flask might be also one of the type "systeme Boche A Paris", you are looking for:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/pulverflasche-mit-sichtglas-antik-sehr-rar-/1685292156-240-3112


Powder flasks with the systeme Boche and a metal body seem to be rather rare!

Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2021, 04:21:36 PM »
Yes Dutch,

The one in your above photos is the type.
I have seen a few, but at the high end price-wise!

They may be a bit slower to use, but are rather different, hence the interest.

Thank you for the photos and links!!
Best,
Richard.

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks; knuckle joint charger
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2021, 09:37:49 AM »
Hi Pukka Bundook

you have been asking for french flasks "that had a top that rotated at right angles, to seal off the powder completely  from the main charge when pouring."



Beneath the Boche-type charger there was also an old type, called knuckle joint charger.
The french flask shown in the pic below, had been in an auction and the price got rather high. (Abbout 280 €)



« Last Edit: June 19, 2021, 09:44:05 AM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #17 on: July 23, 2021, 05:35:51 PM »
I have been asked for a french powder horn,  that had a top that rotated at right angles, to seal off the powder completely  from the main charge when pouring. It might be called charger system
"BOCHE A PARIS".


Now I got an antique flat horn, with a such a charger.






« Last Edit: July 23, 2021, 05:41:38 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2021, 05:47:35 PM »
Although this horn has no markings of the maker, I think it was made in continental Europe.




The charger is adjustable. I can read the numbers 7,  8 and 9


« Last Edit: July 23, 2021, 05:51:34 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #19 on: July 23, 2021, 05:50:45 PM »






A spring is broken.
I think it had the function to keep the charger locked  upright.

« Last Edit: July 23, 2021, 06:02:08 PM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #20 on: July 23, 2021, 09:21:41 PM »
This flat horn with the Boche a Paris system charger seems to be a factory product, because i saw an auction with nearly an identical powder horn.
https://www.ebay.de/itm/304061567258

Who can tell me more about these probably factory made flat horns????

I am really not an expert concerning powder horns.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2021, 06:02:04 AM by Dutch Blacky »

Offline Dutch Blacky

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Some more french flasks with a body made of tin
« Reply #21 on: February 28, 2023, 05:27:24 PM »

Powder  flasks with a body made of tin or zinc may have beer popular on the continent. I had the chance to buy a part of a collection of french powder flasks



The following one I could´nt find in the reference books (Riling, Marquiset, Rywell)





All these flasks have a common top (spring top not srew off) or a cap measure   charger and might have been the cheap version of flasks made of copper or brass.





ismail can

Offline Shreckmeister

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Re: French powder flasks
« Reply #22 on: February 28, 2023, 07:15:16 PM »
I like the pig one.  Not seen that before.
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