Horn With A Twist

[Tim Crosby]

 I did this horn a year or so ago and it has been sitting collecting dust. It needs something and I'm not sure what, color would definitely help it not look so stark. It needs some clean up on the neck and base along with a staple but I'm stuck as to what else it needs. Ideas???

 Tim C.

 

[omark]

maybe some dark horn bands???   and a little more "scratching"      mark

[b bogart]

I know, it needs a strap and someone to carry it.
Bruce

[Michigander]

Tim, with my limited talent, I am hardly one to offer suggestions to you. I will say that is a very interesting horn, and I can't wait to see it finished.
Thanks for posting.
Michigander

[Joe Stein]

Tim,
    I think it's looking great, so far.  I really like the color of the spout.  Maybe buff that up really smooth and wax it so the color shows.  Also,  I agree that it needs some more "scratching," maybe some shading in the bit you've done near the plug to give it more of a 3-d look, and something in the open spaces in the body of the horn.
    I think it would look good with a stud in the butt plug and a smallish staple for the strap, and a simple strap.  Let the horn be the focus.
-Joe

[josephprivott]

think you should treat it like a sword handle and add a brass or sterling wire twist to the low part of the carving? might be too modern, but would certainly dress it up

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

...very neat bit of filing!

[BillPac]

Tim:
I assume those are blood stains in the cloth back drop.  You really get in to those horns.
BillP

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

One idea....I would dye the tip darkbrown (sorta - or black) and lead people to think that it is a nice wooden screwtip....until the look close..... 
I want to see the clever plug you come up with!!

[Joey R]

Looks like a left handed exterior plug would work fine Very nice horn and yet to be finished. I'm going to sit back and enjoy the suggestions.

[Larry Pletcher]

Very cool spout.  I like the spiral.
Regards,
Pletch

[Artificer]

Tim,

I agree, good file work.  I like the way you complemented the spout with the carving at the butt. 

What does the horn tell you it wants, beside some scrimshanding?  I get the impression this is a female horn.  Yeah, I know that sounds a little crazy, new age, whatever, and I'm certainly not new age.  However, I think she is trying to tell you something you have not yet understood.

I'm wondering if you could carve the band at the bottom of the spout to match the petals of the rosette on the butt? 

Would she like a "hair dye job" on the spout to match the color of the wood of the plug?  I grinned when I read Dr Tim's suggestion as I was thinking something like coloring the spout before I read his suggestion.  Maybe not a solid color for the spout, but could you dye it so it got darker as it got closer to the filling hole? 

I'm not even sure she needs the things I've suggested, except for a little scrimshanding  that would sure doll her up.  Tell her I think she's pretty.

Gus

[tuffy]

Yeah, great spiral. If ya wanted to go all out, maybe a little paneling from the end of the spiral to where the natural coloring ends. Or not. But I do agree that it needs a little more scratchin'. Can't wait to see the end result.

[Randy Hedden]

Tim,

Unlike some of the other replies, this horn doesn't say "scrimshaw" to me.  I would dye the throat and spout area a medium to dark brown and color the body with aqua fortis.  I would install a staple on the butt end that goes through the horn and into the butt plug.  I would also place a staple on the spout end.  Perhaps with one leg of the staple going into the spiral part of the horn which would give the appearance of horn having an applied tip.  I am not in favor of heavy antiquing, but a little antiquing would give the horn a nice look.

Randy Hedden

[The other DWS]

I think a natural looking dark-amber colored stain in the bottoms of the spiral grooves (somewhat like you did on the curved flutes on the plug would bring that to life.
Not sure what to do about the white portion but it needs something to bring it to life.  maybe some sort of an alternating pattern of gloss and flat polished areas

[Jerry V Lape]

The twist is the key feature and anything detracting from that feature would lessen the horn.  The base plug is colored way wrong for the rest of the horn.  I would think about making that plug shiney black and lose the brass tack in the center as well - maybe a bleached bone piece inletted instead.  About the area the white runs out before the band at the base of the twist I would put a circular band of black scrim or a ring or two of black horn.  Between that line and the ring I would make the horn  a different color so there was contrast to highlight the twist.  The rest could be plain or you could scrim the white area but not too much.

The work is great so far and my suggestions are just one possiblity, hopefully you will get several more which will help you see even more to your taste. 

[Kermit]

I've seen some green horns that look great. For some reason that tip color says green to me. And I'm with Randy, and not a fan of engraving on horns, most times. I admire the skill it takes, but like to see the architecture unadorned. Tend to like my guns the same way. Just my taste. 

[Tim Crosby]

 Thanks for the ideas and the complements. I too think the base color needs to be changed and I think I will remove the brass tack and replace it with a turned antler of bone finial for the strap. I am not real crazy about the tear drop band and will probably remove that. Black may be a little too much for the neck so I think I will go with brown. On the body I'm going to try AF to start, if that doesn’t work I will dye it. I am not an engraver so the body will stay plain, we'll see. As for the stopper...not sure.

 Thanks Again, Tim C.   

[Jefferson58]

Tim:

That is a nice horn. It would be hard for me to leave one like that sitting around for a year. I really like the tip treatment. Nice carving. As far as the base is concerned, it looks like you and that Mark Preston fellow have been talking. In other words, I like it. I think your idea for the finial sounds great and the idea for maybe a staple at the tip sounded good. Otherwise, I think some color would be great.

By the way, great time at the HCH meeting this weekend, and thank you for all that you and your wife did for the guild!

Jeff

[Mark Elliott]

Tim,

Have you thought about two applied wedding bands, one covering the tear drops and one in the middle.  The bands would balance the heavy carving on the throat.   As to color,  I would lean toward some shade of green for the throat and applied bands.  Then I would go over the whole thing with aqua fortis.   

While I have you here, were your planning on coming to the Southern Longrifle Show the weekend after next?   It had been mentioned that you might come, but I hadn't heard it from you.

Thanks,

Mark E.

[Tim Crosby]

Tim,

Have you thought about two applied wedding bands, one covering the tear drops and one in the middle.  The bands would balance the heavy carving on the throat.   As to color,  I would lean toward some shade of green for the throat and applied bands.  Then I would go over the whole thing with aqua fortis.   

While I have you here, were your planning on coming to the Southern Longrifle Show the weekend after next?   It had been mentioned that you might come, but I hadn't heard it from you.

Thanks,

Mark E.

 Yes, Mark I plan on being there.

 Tim C.