Softening horn with vinager?

[Dutch Blacky]

There are actually offers of some very interesting powder flasks in eBay. Among these flasks there is one manufactured in Austria.  (https://www.ebay.de/itm/266266425976?hash=item3dfeb73a78:g:d8cAAOSwbFxkanRZ)

Powderflaskhunter, a collector from the Netherlands, is writing:
"...... typical Austrian made powder flask - or horn.
It has been manufactured around the 1840`s most likely in Vienna (Wien).
The body consists of 2 halves of pressed lanthorn.
Did you know they manufacturers used vinegar to soften the horn?!"

Does anybody among you know some more about this old technique?

[Tim Crosby]

 Never heard of that. If cold that would be one thing but if the vinegar had to be heated I would think it would work like water. Worth a try.
 I did straighten a piece of Whitetail antler once by soaking it in vinegar but that took 3 months.

    Tim 

[Dutch Blacky]

Maybe @feltwad would know more about  the method of softening horn using vinager?

[TDM]

Always heard and read that hot oil was used in colonial times. But I suppose hot vinegar would work. But it would be more about the temperature working the horn. I don’t remember the exact temperature, but horn has to be heated above a certain point for it to forget it’s previous form. Above the boiling temperature of oil would do that.

[Robert Wolfe]

I don't know about horn, but vinegar can be used to soften antler so that it can be straightened (or bent).

[rich pierce]

I don't know about horn, but vinegar can be used to soften antler so that it can be straightened (or bent).

Good point. Antler had collagen which is denatured by acid. Horn is keratin and I think less affected by acid. 

[bigsmoke]

I don't know about vinegar, but I sure do like to use a heat gun to soften horn.  Thousands done and no cracks yet.
'Nuff said.
John (Bigsmoke)

[Cory Joe Stewart]

The ancient greeks used vinegar to soften ivory and then would form it into shapes for altars. 

Cory Joe