Horn any opinions?

[ddoyle]

Took a punt on this horn- Maybe a silly impulse cause I am ignorant, but it spoke to me, is small enough to use, and you know what they say about fools and money :grin:

Anyway if anyone has knowledge that would shed light on what it is OR what it is trying to be I'd love to hear it. Also interested in what books i should buy to bring myself up to speed on North American horns.

Here is a link to an image:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/V4MAAOSwaLhZf3la/s-l1600.jpg

Thanks

 

[S.Kenton]

Looks to me to be a crudely made and then crudely painted powder horn. I'd scrape all the paint off and refinish it and then you'd have a nice horn. Also, since your new to horns, blow in the pour spout end to see if it leaks, ya want them air tight.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Senor Kenton is right. Not sure what motivated the previous owner to go with paint, but it does have character. Like they say "beauty is in the eye of the bee holder!" :shocked2: :haha: Difficult to say since it's hard to judge actual size but I'd call it a 'day horn' of smaller size. If you like the looks, then just leave it as is. Under the paint may be pure boring black! :wink:

There are books by Scott Sibley and Jim Stevens plus other sources from TOTW and others. Our own Horner75 may be able to suggest other places to look and learn.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Whatever you do to it, please replace the nylon show lace. :wink:

 

[jrmflintlock]

Also looks like black eye bolts were used as "strap" attachments. I would pull those, plug the holes and put a steel staple. Easy to make with little to no investment.

If you are not sure how to do it, just ask!

Took me a while to figure out what Claude meant by Show lace. :haha:

Good Luck! if you decide to "adjust" the look be sure and share pictures.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Whatever you do to it, please replace the nylon show lace. :wink:

You mean Davy and Dan'el didn't have nylon? The horror! :wink: :shocked2: :haha:

 

[mooman76]

I agree with all said.

 

[ddoyle]

Scrape it!- OK I guess I aint as ignorant as I thought. Or is there some tell that indicates it was made after 1930?
Take a look at Metis, Acadian and Native horns. Someone either copied/forged this one and purposely antiqued it to fool an anglo (me)or it is an OEM item- I am just not able to distinguish a st lawrence farmers horn from a metis buffalo hunters horn from an Acadian waterfwoler's horn. I was hoping someone here would know. They aint rare or valuable they all are commonly found with steel eye hangers and flat bases. did they all seal with tar?

I got some books/journals coming in on interlibrary loan. So as soon as I learn to read french I'll report what I learn.

Thanks

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Just wondering but what did it say when it spoke to you? :hmm: Dan.

 

[Pete44ru]

Anyway if anyone has knowledge that would shed light on what it is OR what it is trying to be I'd love to hear it.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/V4MAAOSwaLhZf3la/s-l1600.jpg

IMO, the person who fashioned that horn most likely had neither the expertise nor the desire to make a fine powder horn (I've never seen one purposely done like that) - the maker most likely just wanted/needed a utility tool/accessory for their frontstuffer, and so used whatever was at hand to do so.

It is what it is - although it can be rescued/restored, or otherwise improved, to our eyes.

I also used what I had on hand to fashion this horn (upper horn, below), but I guess different folks have different "stuff" hanging around.

 

[S.Kenton]

If it were mine.... I'd scrape the paint off...use solvent to get as much of the paint off around the base plug pins..then as was suggested, pull whatever is holding the shoelace out of the side of the horn, then plug it it with a dowl rod, carve a pice of horn or whatever suits ya, use epoxy to seal the plug. then, reshape the pour spout end making a ring towards the bottom of the spout to hold a woven strap.btheres more than enough meat at the bottom to accomplish this. I'm partial to eye rings in the base myself. Although, never heard of anyone using tar to seal a base plug. However if YOU like it the way it is... Enjoy it, you only have to please yourself..had a good buddy who had the ugliest powder horn I've ever saw.. Picked on him about it for 20 yrs.. After he passed... Guess who ended up with it..I've never done a thing to it, nor will I ever.

 

[George]

I can't help you with your horn, but I'm convinced that in the day horns such as that were very common. Horns just made by the user, a utilitary convenience, not an art object such as we tend to assume.

I bought an old horn many years ago which I believe is of that type, and have put it back into service. It seems special to me because of its history, whatever that might be. You can see that it was just whittled out with a pocket knife or some such, nailed with square nails and put to work.







Spence

 

[Claude Mathis]

Took me a while to figure out what Claude meant by Show lace. :haha:

It was "shoe lace", until spell check got a hold of it. :grin:

 

[Wes/Tex]

It was "shoe lace", until spell check got a hold of it. :grin:

Which is why I keep mine off...so all stupid spellings are all mine! :wink: :haha:

 

[azmntman]

Whatever you do to it, please replace the nylon show lace. :wink:

You mean Davy and Dan'el didn't have nylon? The horror! :wink: :shocked2: :haha:

Well sure they had em but if they used em as a horn cord they woulds singed the frayed ends at least...wouldn't they? :idunno:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Not sure what motivated the previous owner to go with paint, but it does have character.

WHY are we assuming this is an actual powder horn meant for powder use? :haha:

That looks like a toy horn made for a fan of the TV series Daniel Boone, circa 1965, though the cap firing "long rifle" and the genuine, imitation, coonskin cap are not present....OR...,

That looks very much like a prop powder horn for Miss Morganstern's 5th grade production of Lewis and Clark, also circa 1965.

:wink:


LD

 

[Eterry]

If you scrape the paint off, you may find the worms have ate it full of holes.... Or a carving from a soldier at Fort Tieconterogie!!
Ok, probly the first more then the latter.

I recently bought a small hunting horn that someone had plugged and attached a strap to convert to powder horn. I have an affinity for hunting horns, can't decide to restore or leave as is.
I know from personal experience it's not easy to get a good tone from a hunting (blowing) horn. Maybe someone couldn't get a decent tone and changed it to a powder horn.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I still got my 1954 78 rpm Davy Crockett record so tread lightly! :haha: :rotf: Now let's all join in for a chorus of 'king of the wild frontier'. How many know what other song was on the flip side? :hmm:

 

[Stumpkiller]

 

[coloradoclyde]

WHY are we assuming this is an actual powder horn meant for powder use
LD

Exactly!.... :thumbsup:
it's usability is undetermined....

What may be under the paint also disturbs me....

I have bought far better and usable horns for $20....I have also retired horns......to the garbage......

Quality is what it is, and usually costs money.